Newcastle have been hit with a major blow as manager Eddie Howe revealed summer signing Yoane Wissa is set for a spell on the sidelines.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo international picked up a knee injury during the international break and will see a specialist to determine the exact problem, and the length of his expected layoff.
He will miss Saturday’s Premier League clash with Wolves, and could also be out for Newcastle’s Champions League opener against Barcelona next Thursday.
The news is a serious setback for Newcastle, who endured a difficult transfer window as a result of a standoff with wantaway striker Alexander Isak, who eventually secured a £125m move to Liverpool.
The Magpies paid Brentford £55m to sign Wissa as a replacement.
Howe said on Friday: “He won't make this game, I saw him for the first time yesterday. He's feeling the effects of the injury he sustained just before he came off. So we are going to have to see how he is.”
Howe spoked admiringly of the 29-year-old, saying: “An established Premier League goalscorer is very difficult to find and recruit. He has very good qualities, he had an outstanding few years in the Premier League, a history of scoring goals. He’s been difficult to handle when we’ve come up against him.
“I admire the journey he’s been on, it’s not been easy for him. He’s made big steps, he’s always adjusted and made them. Hopefully he can do that for us.”
The timing of the injury is not ideal, with Howe admitting Newcastle face a “storm of games” in the remainder of September. “It’s going to be a great period for us in terms of challenges - quick turnarounds. We are going to need the whole squad ready to play.”
Unfortunately for Howe, another new signing, Jacob Ramsey, will also be out of action, this time until after the next international break in October.
Ramsey suffered an ankle injury against Leeds before the September break, with Howe calling his absence “a big blow”.
However there are no concerns over record signing Nick Woltemade, who joined from Stuttgart in a deal worth up to £69m. “He's got a great nature and a great character. He's very calm. He's gone straight into our training and not looked out of place,” Howe said of the German.
Woltemade could feature against Wolves, with the manager adding: “I have no hesitation in playing any of the new players.”
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