Latest Arsenal news includes an update on Nicolas Pepe, who is spending the season on loan in France with OGC Nice and has missed the last four games with a knee injury
Time is running out for Nicolas Pepe to make a return to action before his loan spell at Nice comes to an end.
And in truth, up until the end of the January transfer window, Pepe had been making the most of regular game time by netting eight goals in 23 appearances across all competitions.
However, after suffering from "tendonitis" in his knee following the goalless draw with Reims, the Ivory Coast international subsequently missed the next nine games in a row and made his return as a substitute in the Europa Conference League last-16 second leg win over FC Sheriff on March 16.
Pepe then made his first Nice start in two months against Lorient three days later before featuring in further Ligue 1 games against Angers and Paris Saint-Germain as well as coming off the bench as the French side crashed out of Europe at the hands of Basel after extra-time.
That remains his last appearance to date as another knee injury has seen him miss the last four games in succession with Nice boss Didier Digard, as per the club's official website, confirming the Gunners winger will once again be unavailable for selection against Strasbourg this weekend.
Of course, there's a chance it can still happen but with only three games remaining of the campaign after this weekend's round of matches it remains to be seen if the 27-year-old will have enough time to, perhaps, convince the decision-makers at Nice to turn his loan deal into a permanent one.
Whilst the Gunners are unlikely to recoup anything close to the £72m fee they paid to sign the winger almost four years ago, his valuation will have improved based on his early and consistent form in Nice colours, so that should lead to a nice windfall if a decision is made to part ways in the summer.
sobdeoprtz
0
pepe is good but playing time