U.S. star Balogun added to Monaco's squad for Conference League after scoring first goal this season
U.S. striker Folarin Balogun has been added to Monaco’s squad for the Conference League having originally been left out amid uncertainty over his future
MONACO -- U.S. striker Folarin Balogun has been added to Monaco's squad for the Conference League, having originally been left out amid uncertainty over his future.
In the squad list displayed on UEFA's website on Tuesday, Balogun's name now appears among the forwards. Ansu Fati, who was injured in an Oct. 25 match against Lille and — according to French daily L'Equipe — is sidelined for two months, is no longer on the list.
Balogun has only featured as a substitute this season for Monaco, playing in five games and scoring his first goal in a 3-1 loss at Paris FC on Sunday.
The striker was close to joining Everton for a reported 40 million pounds ($54 million) on the last day of the summer transfer window for most leagues in Europe — Sept. 1 — but pulled out of a deal because he felt uncomfortable that the English club raised doubts about his health in a medical examination.
Days later, Balogun was left out of Monaco's Conference League squad because the club still had the option of selling him to a league where the transfer window remained open. That didn't materialize.
All this came after a World Cup when Balogun — the star player for the U.S. team — was the subject of a major controversy following his red card during the round-of-32 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina.
His one-game suspension was deferred by FIFA after U.S. President Donald Trump intervened, calling Gianni Infantino — president of soccer’s world governing body — to see if the red card could be reviewed.
Balogun was allowed to play in the round of 16 and had a forgettable performance as the U.S lost to Belgium.
Monaco won its first two games in the Conference League — against CSKA Sofia and Freiburg — and has matches to come in the 36-club league phase against FC Nordsjælland on Thursday, then Hearts, Brighton and Lincoln Red Imps.
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