by Staff Reporter
Friday Oct 31, 2025. 15:42
Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe has revealed that Yoane Wissa is still not close to making his debut for the club as he continues to recover from a knee injury.
The DR Congo international joined the Magpies from Premier League rivals Brentford on transfer deadline day, but has been sidelined since September 9 when he picked up the injury in a 2026 World Cup qualifier against Senegal.
Wissa saw a specialist prior to the clash with Nottingham Forest on October 5 and Howe expected the 29-year-old striker to be ruled out for “slightly longer” after initially hoping he’d be in contention for the trip to Brighton on October 18.
However, the Brit concedes he has no idea when Wissa will return to action as the former Bees ace is still some way off from even joining his team-mates for training.
Asked in his pre-match press conference ahead of the West Ham game on Saturday when fans could see Wissa playing, Howe replied: “Definitely not West Ham.
“He is working very hard and is on the grass. He is not close to training with the group, not through injury but through fitness.
“I’m not trying to be evasive but I don’t know when the moment will be when he’s back with the squad.”