Newcastle United have been without Yohan Wissa since September after the Democratic Republic of Congo international sustained a knee injury against Senegal.
Yoan Wissa’s return to Newcastle United remains on ice after Eddie Howe admitted his striker is “not close” to a return.
The £55m striker will not depart for London this weekend, despite West Ham once being touted as a potential return destination for the Democratic Republic of Congo international.
The former Brentford star has not featured for Newcastle since sustaining a knee injury against Senegal in September. Despite being linked with a return against Brighton this month, he missed his second scheduled return date against West Ham.
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Wissa was featured in the team photo following the Carabao Cup win over Tottenham Hotspur and regularly appears on Will Osla’s Snapchat feed. However, Howe was unable to confirm a date for Wissa’s return, despite Athletic Bilbao and Brentford being mentioned as possible destinations.
When asked about the injured player, Howe said: “It’s definitely not West Ham. He’s been training very hard and getting the necessary fitness on the grass.”
“I don’t think he’s close to training with the group because of his fitness. I’m not trying to avoid it, but I don’t know when the moment will be for him to be back in the team,” Chronicle Live reports.
However, Howe said the player’s morale remained high, adding: “He has a very strong character and it shows.
“He’s good with the players, he’s very positive. He’s a leader, you can already see that.
“He tries to inspire and help the players, but sometimes it’s very difficult when you come to a new club and get injured right away. It’s a really tough mental challenge for him, especially considering the transfer fee.”
“There’s going to be a lot of emotions going on for him, but all he can focus on is getting fit and trying to make a difference on the pitch. I think if we get him fit, we can really help him.”
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