Nicolas Pepe is yet to return to the pitch with OGC Nice after injury, but he’s making progress as he closes in on a comeback.

When Arsenal loanee Nicolas Pepe picked up a knee injury in mid-January, there was little clarity over exactly how long he might be out.

The winger was suffering from tendonitis, with OGC Nice confirming they would need to assess the extent of the issue before putting a timeline on the 27-year-old’s return. But almost two months after his spell on the sidelines began, he’s still out of action.

Nice travelled away to Sheriff Tiraspol on Thursday, winning 1-0 to take a lead back home for the second leg, but Pepe again wasn’t involved in the fixture.

In the latest quotes from this month, Nice boss Didier Digard gave an encouraging update on Pepe’s recent progress whilst also stressing that the winger won’t be rushed back.

“He’s done some light running, which is very good,” Digard said. “He’s really responding very well to everything that has been asked of him so far. It’s a good thing.

“Honestly, as a player, I’ve suffered from starting again too soon and risking a relapse.

“I will always try to ensure my players can perform as well as possible for as long as possible, and not just because I need them for an important game. I will always prioritise a player’s health.”

Based on those comments, it seems that part of the reason we aren’t getting a specific return date from Nice is that they don’t want to put pressure on Pepe to start playing again before he’s ready.

For the player’s long-term prospects, that certainly sounds like a good thing.

Nice fans will just have to be patient and hope he’s back in time to help them with the latter stages of their Europa Conference League run, should they continue to progress.