November 26th, 2023 – that is the date of Sofiane Diop’s (24) last start in Ligue 1. It has been a long road back for the Morocco international.
The route of the issue for Diop can be traced back to a match against Olympique Lyonnais in August 2023. “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,” said the forward, who then went on to suffer a broken foot against Toulouse at the end of November, forcing his withdrawal at the break in a 1-0 win at the Allianz Riviera.
He would return for a brief cameo against FC Metz in January, however, the injury had not healed. “This big injury happened and I couldn’t even explain it. I don’t know what happened,” said Diop. OGC Nice took a quick decision, opting for surgery. Whilst it is the former AS Monaco man’s first major injury, it is in fitting with his time with local rivals Nice, where he admits that he has had a “lot of physical niggles”. Those niggles have limited him to 50 appearances (four goals, six assists) since joining Le Gym from the Principality club in 2022.
His long-awaited return came against Olympique de Marseille in mid-September; he has quickly refound his feet, and although, as he regains match fitness, he is yet to start in Ligue 1, he is still making his mark having scored twice in the league this season. “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,” said Diop.
But not everything is as it was before. “This period has made me grow a lot. There is a 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,” says the Morocco international.
Diop has spoken about a “hunger” for the ball, which certainly came across in the UEFA Europa League encounter with Ferencvaros, when he played on, at least until half-time, after a severe blow to the head that left him requiring stitches. “I have to channel [that hunger] and the manager has just said that I have to be patient,” he says.
Amid Nice’s ongoing issues with injuries, Diop, who spent part of his rehabilitation in Rabat and is looking to break back into the Morocco set-up, has a versatility to his game that could prove to be valuable to Franck Haise, whose options in many sectors have been limited so far this season.
“He has the capability of being an offensive player between the lines, inside or outside,” began Haise, in response to a question from Get French Football News. “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.”
Diop agrees, although he does point out that he is “more of an attacking player than a defender.” Wherever he plays, the desire for Diop is simply to play, given what he has endured over the past 12 months and the understandable doubts that may have arisen during that extended period on the sidlelines.
One year on from that injury, Diop is looking to make the most of his “fresh start” and live up to the expectations that his own performances created when he broke through at Monaco. Returning with a steely determination, he certainly doesn’t lack the motivation to do so.
GFFN | Luke Entwistle – reporting from Nice