Newcastle United 2-0 Tottenham Hotspur - Joe Buck match reaction
Newcastle United injury news: Eddie Howe has provided a fresh update on Yoane Wissa - but has ruled him out of featuring v West Ham on Sunday.
Wissa joined Newcastle United for £55m on deadline day, but suffered an injury whilst on international duty with DR Congo that has sidelined him ever since. Wissa suffered a PCL injury during DR Congo’s clash with Senegal and has not featured for his new club since, or in any form of club football since May.
Although Nick Woltemade’s form in-front of goal has meant that Wissa’s absence has not been too harshly felt by the Magpies, having him available for selection will be a massive boost for Howe. However, United’s head coach confirmed that the 29-year-old wouldn’t feature this weekend and admitted he didn’t have an exact date in mind for when Wissa would be able to make his debut.
“It's definitely not West Ham,” Howe said when asked about the striker. “He's working very hard, he's on the grass, he's getting the fitness work in that he needs.
“I'd say he's not close to training with the group at the moment, not through injury but through fitness and making sure we build his robustness. I'm not trying to be evasive, I don't know when the moment will be when he's back with the squad.”
Eddie Howe on Yoane Wissa character and dressing room impact
It has been a frustrating start to life on Tyneside for Wissa, but he was pictured in a Newcastle United dressing room photo on Wednesday night for the first time. That picture, along with a number of social media posts from Will Osula, has given supporters a sneak peek into Wissa’s character and the type of relationships he has developed at his new club.
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Having scored 19 Premier League goals last season and been one of Brentford’s key players, Wissa’s role at St James’ Park will likely be very different to the one he held at the Gtech Community Stadium, but Howe has praised the striker for his ability to not just adapt to a new dressing room with new teammates, but also to remain mentally strong during his injury absence.
“He has a very strong character and that comes across,” Howe said about Wissa. “He's good with the players, he's very positive.
“He's a leader. You can see that already.
“He's trying to inspire and help the players, which is sometimes very difficult when you come to a new club and you're injured straight away. That's a real tough mental challenge for him to take on, especially with his transfer fee.
There'll be a lot of emotions going through him, but all he can focus on is trying to get fit and trying to make a difference on the pitch. I think we can really help him when we get him fit.”
Newcastle United, minus Wissa, head to the London Stadium on Sunday aiming to secure back-to-back Premier League wins for the first time since April at a stadium where they are unbeaten in their last six trips.
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