When Will Striker Yoane Wissa Make His Debut For Newcastle United?

NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 01: Yoane Wissa poses for photographs next to a number 9 graphic at the Newcastle United Training Centre after signing for the club on September 01, 2025 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images)

Newcastle United via Getty Images

Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe admits he doesn’t know when Yoane Wissa will be fit enough to make his debut for the club as he recovers from a knee injury.

Wissa, 29, signed for Newcastle from Brentford on transfer deadline day in a £55m ($72m) deal but suffered the injury on international duty with DR Congo immediately and is still awaiting his Magpies debut.

Initially, the prognosis on the issue was “six to eight weeks” according to Howe, which would have meant Sunday’s trip to West Ham could have been among his first outings.

But he suffered a setback and speaking ahead of the game, Howe was unable to be specific on when Wissa will play his first Newcastle game.

“It will definitely not be West Ham,” Howe said. “He is working very hard, and he is on the grass and getting the fitness work in he needs.

“I’d say he’s not close to training with the group due to 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.”

Howe has been impressed with Wissa’s attitude and said he is in good spirits.

“He has a very strong character, and that comes across,” he added.

“”He’s good with the players, he’s very positive. He’s a leader. You can see that already.

“He’s trying to inspire and help the players, which is sometimes very difficult when you come to a new club and you’re injured straight away. That’s a real tough mental challenge for him to take on, especially with his transfer fee.

“There’ll be a lot of emotions going through him, but all he can focus on is trying to get fit and trying to make a difference on the pitch. I think we can really help him when we get him fit.”

Newcastle travels to Brentford, Wissa’s former club, in a week’s time.

Is the lack of clarity on Yoane Wissa’s fitness a concern?

Everything about Wissa’s early Newcastle career has been extremely frustrating, not just for him, his team-mates and Howe, but the supporters too.

Newcastle ended up paying double what they initially wanted to for Wissa, who only had a year left on his contract at Brentford, albeit with the option of a further season.

The mantra for the summer window was Premier League proven. Howe wanted players who could immediately perform with minimal need to acclimatize to the league and his team. Wissa scored 19 goals last season and had missed a total of eight games for the Bees in four seasons.

His age and contract status made the price tag look steep. But the context of the deal, given Newcastle was losing its own ‘guaranteed’ Premier League goalscorer, Alexander Isak, on the same day, made it more palatable. If he arrived and made an instant impact, it would be worth it.

The severity of the injury has been cruel on Newcastle given his aforementioned availability record at Brentford. There is also irony in the fact that Nick Woltemade, who joined from Stuttgart in Germany, has scored six goals already. That has helped ease the pain of missing Wissa, but his instinct for getting in the box and on the end of crosses, not Woltemade’s strength, would have made a huge difference.

Ultimately, when Wissa returns, Newcastle gets a striker capable of making the difference. Howe says he will need six weeks to get up to speed, and there is the possibility that he will spend much of the winter at the African Cup of Nations, once again putting such a huge outlay under the spotlight.

The lack of clarity is a frustration for everyone, but Wissa is rarely injured, and has not built up familiarity with the Newcastle medical staff.

Everybody will hope he returns soon and puts this nightmare behind him.