Mohammed Salisu explains Monaco debut delay

Ghana defender Mohammed Salisu has explained why he has yet to make his debut for AS Monaco after signing a 15 million euro deal with the French club earlier this month.

Salisu left Southampton, committing his future to Monaco, but fans have yet to see the centre-back in action, as he was not even in the squad for their Ligue 1 opener against Clermont Foot, which they won 4-2.

His absence raised questions, and Salisu has responded by saying that he is not fit and is currently working hard to get in shape and be selected by the coach.

“Last season was difficult for me, I had some physical issues. Currently, I am working hard on a daily basis to be ready as soon as possible and to be available to the coach and the squad. My goal is to get back in shape fairly quickly, but above all to stay in shape for the long term.”

The defender was a standout performer for Southampton after joining from Real Valladolid in 2020, but injuries have abruptly slowed his development as he works diligently to get healthier in preparation for his Ligue 1 debut.

Having missed all of Ghana’s matches in 2023 due to injury, Salisu remains an injury doubt for the Black Stars’ next clash against Central African Republic in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers which comes off in September.