Newcastle United forward Yoane Wissa
Newcastle United forward Yoane Wissa(Image: Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images)
Eddie Howe faces an anxious wait on news on Yoane Wissa after his new £50m striker continues to undergo assessment after a knee injury.
Wissa missed out on making his debut against Wolverhampton Wanderers after suffering an injury on duty with DR Congo in the World Cup qualifier against Senegal last week.
The 29-year-old tried to play on but was eventually forced off before Newcastle staff discovered he would not even be close to playing against Wanderers.
As Newcastle wait to see if he will be available to take on Barcelona, fears are growing within the fanbase that Wissa may be facing a lay off.
After the game Howe said: "I’ve got no news [on Wissa]. I’m waiting to find out myself."
It is expected that Wissa will be missing for the visit of the Catalan giants but there is hope the injury could be a matter of weeks not months.
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Newcastle set-piece coach is starting to make his Mark
It may have taken a couple of games but incoming set-play coach Martin Mark's work is starting to be evident in Newcastle's performances now.
Not least from throw-ins with Tino Livramento and Kieran Trippier both clearly demonstrating work from the training ground in the build-up to the game.
There was even a throwback to Rory Delap or Dave Challinor, two '90s throw-in figures, as towels were distributed to Livramento in the first half, as he tossed in a dangerous ball for Nick Woltemade.
United had 16 goal attempts in total against struggling Wolves but looked much more of a threat from open play and dead balls - long may it continue.
But Mark's efforts look like they are getting some reward after his arrival from FC Midtjylland in the summer.
With Thomas Tuchel talking up long balls and throw-ins as modern-game weapons, the tactics that were once frowned upon in the 1980s when Wimbledon first used them, are no suddenly fashionable and Newcastle aren't going to fall behind with any such trend.
Never mind losing Alexander Isak, did Newcastle hold on to their real star this summer?
As a caller on talkSport phone-in pointed out after the game, the sale of Isak should not cause any lack of sleep on Tyneside.
For many - and with the sell out crowd chanting his name - Sandro Tonali staying is proving to be an even bigger coup for Newcastle.
Tonali was magnificent against Wolves and left his manager purring too, Howe saying afterwards: "I thought he covered every blade today.
"He was putting out a lot of fires on transition for us, and I think he’s done that superbly well.
"Sometimes, it’s not necessarily a quality that registers immediately, but the number of times that he reads the game and where the ball is going to drop and he’s there first, then you realise that it’s a massive skill of his.
"With his athleticism and his speed, defensively he’s one of the one of the reasons why he’s been so strong.
"Then, on the other side of the game, his use of the ball and creativity is massive for us. He nearly scored a great goal – I thought it was a great performance."