Football Season Guide

Monaco impressed last season as they charged to second place in Ligue 1, finishing six points clear of Brest in third. With 20 wins from 34, during which they scored 68 goals, their numbers were impressive under Adi Hutter, who is seeking to build on that promising campaign in his second season in charge. One issue that Monaco have coming into this campaign has been their willingness to give their players to the France Olympic squad. Indeed, four have been absent from the closing stages of the pre-season campaign, which could have a knock-on effect for the season. Otherwise, there has been little turnover in the squad, although the loss of Wissam Ben Yedder at the end of his contract is something that is bound to hurt the team offensively. He was such a reliable scorer, but Monaco are opting for younger options, including Folarin Balogun, who had a tricky first season, and 17-year-old sensation George Ilenikhena. Breel Embolo is also fit after serious injury, so there are plenty of options. Aleksandr Golovin remains critical in terms of his creative output, while Takumi Minamino will also be important along with Eliesse Ben Seghir, who is coming off an injury-hit campaign. Investment in youth continued in midfield, where Lamine Camara has hooked up with the team to replace Mohamed Camara, who has moved to Qatari football after a relatively subdued time in Monaco. He will hook up with the likes of Denis Zakaria and Maghnes Akliouche in this area of the park, while there is also some doubt over the future of France star Youssouf Fofana, who has been continually linked with a move away. At the back, Monaco have no obvious weaknesses. Wilfried Singo excelled as a third centre-back last season, while the wide areas will be stronger given that both Vanderson and Caio Henrique should overcome serious injury problems suffered last season. In goal, Philipp Kohn is a solid performer, meanwhile.