Craig Hope has outlined the latest on Yoane Wissa’s recovery, writing in the Daily Mail’s Newcastle Confidential that the forward is still not expected to feature for Newcastle United until December despite
being described as “very close” to a return.
Hope wrote that early December “was my information,” which would rule Wissa out of matches against Manchester City, Marseille and Everton. He added that the player has now gone 11 weeks without appearing and that such optimistic language “is open to interpretation.”
Hope reported that “the important thing for Wissa and Newcastle is that he is working towards a comeback and there have been no setbacks with regards his knee over the international break.”
The insider added that the club want him “to be ready to make an impact when he does return, rather than be introduced for a few minutes here and there over a period of weeks and be susceptible to further injury.”
“My feeling on this for a while now has been that Wissa will not be seen until December,” he wrote.
On the question of the Africa Cup of Nations, Hope was clear in his assessment.
“I’d be surprised if he did,” Hope wrote when asked if Wissa would join DR Congo for the tournament.
Hope added that DR Congo securing a World Cup play-off in March strengthens Newcastle’s case for keeping him on Tyneside, writing that the club and player “can argue, with some justification, that him staying and playing on Tyneside will probably leave him in better shape for the play-off.”
