Yoane Wissa fitness truth as Newcastle United respond to lingering injury concerns
Yoane Wissa is currently the fittest he’s been since joining Newcastle United, according to Eddie Howe.
It’s been five weeks since Yoane Wissa last started a match for Newcastle United.
That came against former club Brentford on February 7, a game and an opponent that perhaps best sums up Wissa’s struggles since joining for £55million last summer.
The 29-year-old had barely been through the St James’ Park door a week when he suffered a posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) injury on international duty with the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Wissa was signed at a premium price as a Premier League-proven replacement for Alexander Isak, who left to join Liverpool for a British record £130m, but he has yet to have the desired effect.
The Magpies had to wait three months before handing Wissa his debut in December and since then, he has managed just three goals in 21 appearances compared to the 20 goals in 39 appearances he got for Brentford last season.
Eddie Howe makes Yoane Wissa fitness admission
In February, Wissa missed three games with “a knock”, although it’s understood United used the opportunity to try and build up the striker’s match fitness.
According to Howe, Wissa is now fitter than he ever has been at Newcastle, but the player must grasp his opportunity when it next comes.
It is telling that in two of Newcastle’s last three home games against Manchester United and Barcelona, Wissa has been left on the bench with both Will Osula and Anthony Gordon brought on ahead of him.
Asked about Wissa ahead of Saturday’s trip to Chelsea, Howe said: “Yeah, Yoane is fit, fitter probably than at any stage in his time with us. He's done a lot of work behind the scenes, he's making up for lost time in that respect and training with the group whenever we train, and yeah, no injury concerns at all.
“The challenge for Yoane is when he's introduced and on the pitch, he's got to perform, and that'll be the same for every player in the squad. And then I have to pick who I think is best for the job.”
Yoane Wissa called up to DR Congo squad
Away from Tyneside, Wissa will be hoping to rediscover some goalscoring form when he links up with DR Congo for their vital 2026 FIFA World Cup inter-confederation play-off final. It is his first call-up to the national team since his knee injury.
New Caledonia and Jamaica play each other on March 27, with the winner facing DR Congo at Estadio Akron in Zapopan, near Guadalajara in Mexico, on Tuesday, March 31, for a spot at this summer’s World Cup.
DR Congo haven’t played at the World Cup finals since 1974, when they competed as Zaire.