Yoane Wissa has confirmed he’s not yet fully fit at Newcastle United.
Earlier this month, Wissa finally made his Newcastle United debut, a full 96 days after joining the club from Brentford.
A knee injury sustained while playing for DR Congo in September ruled him out of action until that point.
Thankfully, the striker is back up and running and has already found the back of the net on one occasion.
Woltemade and Wissa should start TOGETHER vs Man United 👀 Change my mind!
Fortunately for Eddie Howe, striker Wissa was not included in DR Congo’s squad for the Africa Cup of Nations, with the player wanting to focus on his club career.
That would have been music to the ears of Toon fans, who waited so long to see him.
Still, as good as it is from a club perspective, it’s still a blow for Wissa.
Yoane Wissa says he’s still not fully fit at Newcastle United
With the AFCON now underway, Wissa has been speaking to Foot RDC.
He confirmed that he’s just not in the right physical shape to play at the AFCON, while expressing his disappointment at having to miss it.
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We've not been great away, but I reckon we could get a belated Christmas present 🎁
Wissa also stressed that his main goal on the international front is to help his country qualify for the World Cup next summer.
DR Congo will play New Caledonia or Jamaica in March in a play-off, with a place in next summer’s tournament on the line.
“I’m not in the best shape to represent my country right now,” he said.
“It’s a very difficult decision to make. The most important thing now is to get back in shape so I can help the team during the playoffs in March.
“The DRC holds a special place in my heart. I can only wish my teammates good luck in this AFCON.”
The major boost Yoane Wissa has already given Newcastle United
In Wissa’s absence, Nick Woltemade had to carry the burden of being Newcastle United’s main striker.
The German certainly did a fine job in that but, clearly, it wasn’t an ideal situation.
Thankfully, Wissa scored his first goal for Newcastle against Fulham, and provided a lot more than that too.
Wissa can simply do things that Woltemade can’t. He’s much more similar to Alexander Isak, offering pace to the Newcastle United attack.
That’s not a slight on Woltemade, it’s just not really his game. Having another option to cover and compete with is a major boost for the club.
Missing out on AFCON must have been gutting for Wissa. For Newcastle, the decision could be season-defining.
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