Monaco prepares to face Tottenham in a highly anticipated matchup amid a series of injury setbacks and impressive performances. Coach Frank reiterated that his side is still undefeated when playing away from home in all competitions this season. Winning streak The only disappointment was a UEFA Super Cup loss to Paris Saint-Germain. No doubt the team will struggle as they work around the loss of impactful players. With Paul Pogba and Eric Dier missing, their resilience will now be tested by omission.
Paul Pogba, who joined Monaco as a free agent this summer, has faced another setback in his return from injury. After rejoining the squad, Pogba has missed the entire preseason and will miss the season-opening match against Tottenham. His situation has indeed ignited debate over the timeline for his return. Coach Sebastien Pocognoli stressed that, for now, Pogba is only training with the team. He echoed Murphy’s sentiment in this regard, urging a “do no harm” attitude here.
“Actually, it was more general disappointment to be injured because I felt he really wanted to start the journey with me on the weekend.” – Sebastien Pocognoli
Injury Concerns for Both Teams
Monaco’s task is further complicated with Eric Dier heading into the fixture on the sidelines. Except his absence from Indy will be most notable as he won’t be facing off against the team that traded him away. The club will further have to deal with Cristian Romero’s status being up in the air. There are concerns over Emerson Royal and Elye Wahi too. Romero missed training on Tuesday. The Norwegian hit the turf with an abductor strain in the warm-up before playing Aston Villa.
There’s no difficulty here because the defensive lineup for Monaco could be even more deranged by Romero’s condition. Frank has expressed that the injuries present challenges, but he remains focused on maximizing the team’s potential despite these setbacks.
“I always look for glimpses and bits and pieces we are working at.” – Frank
Additionally, the team’s away form is still the silver lining. Frank emphasized that their fortitude and adaptability, especially when playing out of their home base, has been a foundational key to success. He continued to explain that the various strategies used shift as they play at home versus on the road.
“I don’t know exactly. It depends on who you are facing – that can be home and away,” – Frank
Strong Road Performance
Monaco’s unbeaten road record this season is indicative of their competitive spirit. Frank also spoke about the benefits of playing on the road, specifically how teams will usually have to open up at home more, leaving them vulnerable to counter attacking.
“But I just think definitely the away form has been very good in terms of what we said before,” – Frank
He stressed how it’s the team that has laid such a great groundwork. They are wonderfully calm under pressure and defensive discipline is their forte. Frank’s comments highlight the need to balance keeping things intense and aggressive with actually following through on their game plan.
“I think it’s very important that we probably have the most aggressive teams in the high pressure,” – Frank
The team’s commitment to high-pressure tactics combined with a robust defense may prove pivotal in navigating the challenges presented by Tottenham’s attack.
New Signings Making Their Mark
Aside from the game-day injury news, it’s worth noting that both clubs have sunk recent eight-figure investments into new talent. Xavi Simons joined Tottenham from RB Leipzig in a £51 million deal, while Florian Wirtz moved to Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen for £116 million. While these big name moves have made the opening season of this new dark-age spectacular, they’ve ramped up expectations on all sides.
That was only his first day, as for the first time he trained with Monaco’s squad under Frank’s joint leadership. This is a big development in his acclimation to the unit. As he gets comfortable, both supporters and fellow Revolution players will surely want to see how quickly he can begin to make an impact on the field.
Frank will be monitoring Paul Pogba’s progress as he undergoes recovery from his injury. The new coach said that Pogba would be assessed and a decision would be made in the week following the announcement on when he might return. The hope is that Pogba can quickly regain his form and contribute significantly to Monaco’s campaign.
Leave a Reply