Nicolas Pépé returns for Nice against Sheriff

OGC Nice are set to welcome back Arsenal-owned winger Nicolas Pépé for their UEFA Europa Conference League clash with Sheriff Tiraspol on Thursday.
Pépé has re-found his best form since returning to France on loan from the Gunners last summer, scoring six goals and laying on one more in his 16 Ligue 1 Uber Eats appearances for Nice to date.

But tendonitis in his knee means that the winger has not kicked a ball in anger since January. He looks set to return for les Aiglons’ Europa Conference League last 16 second-leg tie on Thursday, though.

Pépé available

“Nico will be in the group,” said assistant manager Julien Sablé, who is deputising for Didier Digard for the match. “His return’s an important one for us. He went through every step to be with us.”

Digard doesn’t yet have his UEFA Pro Coaching license, but he will be on the bench alongside Sablé at the Allianz Riviera. Nice are the last remaining team in Europe, meanwhile.

“It’s not immediately what comes to mind,” Sablé continued when asked about that last fact. “But we’ve discussed it among the staff. It’s something important for French football. We can help maintain this fifth [European] place for the future.”

Nice won the first leg in Moldova 1-0 last Thursday and remain favourites to punch their ticket into the quarter-finals, if not win the competition outright.