Get the Adam Clery Football Column. A newsletter that unpacks the absurdities and oddities of the beautiful game
The ACFC newsletter: unpacking football’s absurdities
Unpack football’s oddities with the ACFC newsletter
Newcastle United’s Yoane Wissa is on the cusp of making his long-awaited debut, with manager Eddie Howe confirming the DR Congo international has returned to full training.
The striker, who joined the Magpies from Brentford three months ago for a substantial £55 million, has been sidelined since suffering a knee injury while on international duty shortly after his arrival.
Howe provided an encouraging update on Friday, stating Wissa is “getting closer.”
The 29-year-old participated in an 11-a-side game in midweek, playing approximately half an hour.
“That was good, more minutes for him. Around about half an hour, and he did well,” Howe told reporters.
The manager added that a final decision on Wissa’s readiness for Saturday’s Premier League clash against Burnley would be made after Friday’s training session, emphasising the need for him to be “fit to make a difference and perform to his highest levels.”
open image in gallery
Eddie Howe revealed Yoane Wissa is closing in on making his Newcastle debut (Richard Sellers/PA) (PA Wire)
In a boost for Newcastle, Wissa will not be departing for the Africa Cup of Nations once he returns to action, having been omitted from his country’s squad. The player himself shared the news on Instagram, posting: “I’ll be the number one supporter! Big up to the family.”
The potential return of Wissa comes as Newcastle look to build on their impressive home form, remaining unbeaten at St James’ Park in the Premier League since August.
However, the team will be keen to rectify a recent trend of dropping points from winning positions, having conceded a late equaliser against Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday.
That draw meant they have now dropped 11 points from winning positions this season, a joint league high.
Addressing this, Howe commented: “I don’t think there’s any mysterious reason for that underneath. We’re looking at patterns and trends all the time and I don’t think there’s something fundamentally wrong but we can certainly do better.”
The 12th-placed side also received positive news regarding Sandro Tonali, who went off injured against Tottenham.
Howe expressed confidence in the midfielder’s availability, stating: “He’s had a scan and we don’t think it’s too bad… It was a knock very similar to the one Joelinton suffered, a dead leg type feeling.”
