Newcastle United forward Yoane Wissa is closing in on a return.placeholder image
Newcastle United forward Yoane Wissa is closing in on a return. | Getty Images
Yoane Wissa has been ruled out of Saturday’s Premier League match against Manchester City as the wait for his Newcastle United debut continues.
The 29-year-old striker is yet to fully train let alone play for The Magpies due to a posterior cruciate ligament injury picked up days after joining the club.
Wissa scored 19 Premier League goals for Brentford last season and was signed to help soften the blow of losing last season’s top scorer, Alexander Isak, to Liverpool. But the DR Congo international is yet to make an impact on Tyneside and hasn’t played any games at club level since May.
Yoane Wissa ruled out v Manchester City
As Newcastle’s international players return to training ahead of Saturday’s Premier League clash against Manchester City at St James’ Park (5:30pm kick-off) following the international break, Wissa is not expected to be involved.
Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe ruled Wissa out when providing an update on his squad earlier this week.
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“We've still got a few obviously that we're nursing back,” Howe explained. “Tino Livramento, Lewis Hall, still in the early stages, although he's made a couple of really good appearances.
“Yoane Wissa is still out, but starting to up his work now. So, yes, we're looking at a healthier place.”
The Man City match will be the 15th Newcastle match Wissa has missed since signing for the club. But his lengthy spell out and lack of competitive action at club level since the end of last season mean he won’t be rushed back.
He is expected to miss at least another three games before returning.
Yoane Wissa set to miss more NUFC matches
Despite his injury troubles, Wissa is still on course to be back in contention in time for selection for DR Congo’s African Cup of Nations squad next month. Though there are doubts as to whether he will actually go away, given his time out.
AFCON takes place in Morocco from December 21 to January 18. Should Wissa get a call-up and DR Congo progress to the later stages of the competition, as they did two years ago when finishing fourth, the forward could miss a further seven games for The Magpies.
Those matches would include the Premier League matches against Chelsea, Manchester United, Burnley, Crystal Palace, Leeds United, Wolverhampton Wanderers as well as the FA Cup third round. Wissa would also be a doubt for the Carabao Cup quarter-final against Fulham the week before the tournament as well as the Champions League clash against PSV Eindhoven three days after the tournament concludes.
But that is all dependent on whether he gets a call-up with the DR Congo squad set to be announced no later than December 11.
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