Yoane Wissa is ‘not close’ to a Newcastle return and looks set to miss his proposed comeback date this side of the November international break.
The 29-year-old suffered a posterior cruciate ligament injury playing for DR Congo just a week after signing from Brentford in a £55million deal on September 1.
Wissa is yet to train with his new team-mates and Eddie Howe does not know when that will be, despite hope earlier this month of him featuring over the next week.
The Newcastle boss said: ‘It (his comeback) is definitely not West Ham (on Sunday). He’s working very hard. He’s on the grass. He’s getting the fitness work in that he needs.
‘I’d say he’s not close to training with the group at the moment, not through injury but through fitness, and making sure we build his robustness. I’m not trying to be evasive. I don’t know when the moment will be when he’s back with the squad.’
Newcastle host Athletic Bilbao in the Champions League on Wednesday before a trip to Brentford on Sunday. If Wissa misses both, as looks likely, it will be after the international break when he finally does make his Newcastle debut. But Howe has been pleased with his impact behind the scenes.
‘He has a very strong character and that comes across,’ he said. ‘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.’
