United States striker Folarin Balogun will be sidelined for about two months with a shoulder injury, a person close to the player told The Associated Press on Wednesday.
Balogun scored for a third straight game as Monaco won 2-1 at Rennes on Oct. 5 before leaving the match with an injury.
He suffered a dislocated shoulder, the person said. They were not authorized to speak publicly of the matter as the club did not make an official statement.
In his second season at league leader Monaco, Balogun netted the winner in the 22nd minute against Rennes but was forced off after the hour mark. The injury led him to withdraw from the U.S. squad for matches against Panama and Mexico.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
US striker Folarin Balogun sidelined two months with shoulder injury
Dinamo's goalkeeper Ivan Filipovic, left, and Monaco's Folarin Balogun go for the ball during the Champions League soccer match between Dinamo Zagreb and Monaco at Maksimir stadium in Zagreb, Croatia, Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
US striker Folarin Balogun sidelined two months with shoulder injury
CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago Blackhawks forward Connor Bedard missed Monday night's 4-1 loss to Edmonton because of an illness.
The Blackhawks have been hit hard by a stomach bug going around their locker room. While Bedard was scratched against the Oilers, goaltender Spencer Knight and defenseman Louis Crevier returned to the lineup. Backup goaltender Arvid Soderblom also was available.
Teuvo Teravainen departed in the first period because of an upper-body injury. The Blackhawks are off on Tuesday, and coach Jeff Blashill said he would have an update on the forward on Wednesday.
“He could be OK. I just don’t know yet for sure. He couldn’t finish the game,” Blashill said. “We’ll go under evaluation here tomorrow and it might be something where he’s OK, might not be."
Bedard has 19 goals and a team-high 27 assists in 33 games. The 20-year-old center missed 12 games with a right shoulder injury before returning on Friday night against Washington. He had two assists in Saturday night's 3-0 victory at Nashville.
The Blackhawks also played without center Frank Nazar, who has missed 11 straight games after he was hit in the face by a puck during a 6-4 loss at Ottawa on Dec. 20.
“We’d prefer any of our great players in the lineup. But the reality is, when you don’t have them, you just come together,” captain Nick Foligno said. “It’s a game where you tighten up and do it for them, or do it for each other, or you play the right way. Today, we just allowed them to get their game right away. We didn’t make it hard on them.”
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard warms up before an NHL hockey game against the Washington Capitals, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
