Sofiane Diop: A 'Fresh Start' at Nice following injury
One To Watch
It's been a long road for the Moroccan international, who has made an impactful return for Nice since coming back from injury.
Sofiane Diop hasn't started for OGC Nice in nearly a whole year: but that changed yesterday evening when the Moroccan international featured and assisted during Les Aiglons' 2-1 win over RC Strasbourg. It's been a long road back to form for Diop, who has had to face various setbacks which delayed his return to Nice under new manager Franck Haise.
Following a foot injury in August 2023, Diop returned for a brief spell in January before encountering more issues at the end of the season. Since mid-September the attacker has been featuring from the bench, scoring twice in Ligue 1 this season.
"This foot injury really did me a lot of harm. I weakened my bone (foot) in a match against Lyon and that had knock-on effects on my other foot," Diop told Get French Football News last week. "This period has made me grow a lot. There is what happened before and it is up to me to write what comes after. The Sofiane before the injury won’t be the same as the one after and I’ve become a lot more mature too. Personally, it feels like a fresh start."
A new position for Diop?
After only making 10 appearances last season for Nice, the Moroccan has already almost reached that figure since his return to action. Diop has reached nine appearances so far for Les Aiglons, netting twice and registering two assists. Featuring as a substitute against Lille, he changed the game for the hosts in a number eight spot alongside Tanguy Ndombélé. It's a new role that Franck Haise certainly thinks he could thrive in.
“He has the capability of being an offensive player between the lines, inside or outside,” said Haise in a recent press conference. “He is technically gifted, good from set-pieces… he has a lot of positive points. Playing deeper in a double pivot? He could do it. I know that he likes to play higher, but he could do it. I have no doubt about that.”
The former AS Monaco man is hoping to rediscover the kind of form that could see him break back into the Morocco national team ahead of AFCON 2025. Yet, in the short term, a sustained run in an injury-hit Nice side could be fruitful for Diop. "I feel really good. I didn’t think that the sensations would come back so quickly. I have the same feeling as I did at Monaco. It is like before."
With his first start under his belt, Diop will be hoping for more in a busy period in Europe and Ligue 1 in the next few weeks. Les Aiglons will face Scottish side Glasgow Rangers in the Europa League, before facing a tough trip to Olympique Lyonnais the following weekend.
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