Bazoumana Toure can’t catch a break as Newcastle United star’s frustration continues
Newcastle United pair Yoane Wissa and Bazoumana Toure are on international duty with their respective countries.
There was joy for Yoane Wissa but more frustration for Bazoumana Toure during their latest round of international matches.
Wissa has scored just once for Newcastle United this season but now has three goals in three games for the Democratic Republic of Congo after netting the opener in their 3-1 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying victory over Sierra Leone.
Meanwhile, Toure's Ivory Coast beat Gambia 2-1 to remain top of their AFCON qualifying group, but it was another game in which the 20-year-old was left watching from the bench.
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The Magpies forked out £43million to sign Toure from Bundesliga side Hoffenheim in the summer, but he is yet to start a Premier League match, with his only start coming in the Carabao Cup second-round victory over West Bromwich Albion.
Ironically, Toure has scored more goals than he has made starts for Newcastle. Having found the net in that West Brom game, the Ivorian also came off the bench to score in the 4-1 defeat away to Leeds United.
Toure has shown other glimpses as a substitute, but has so far been unable to force his way into Matthias Jaissle's starting line-up.
Questions over the lack of game time for Toure and fellow summer signing Aladji Bamba, who joined from Monaco for £35million, have regularly been put to Jaissle, but the Newcastle head coach has remained consistent in his response.
“Bazou, it's really clear. He's a young lad, came as a new signing and he's doing a great job. You see the steps now in training, he's really committed,” Jaissle told The Gazette last month.
“It's sometimes in football that if you have other players performing as well on a really high level, like Harvey [Barnes] at the moment, then you're getting a little bit less playing time. But we said that from the beginning, especially for the young lads and the new signings, that we give them time.
“It's the same with AB [Aladji Bamba] for instance. We're not pushing, especially not externally, pushing them in getting more minutes. It's normal progress and we're supporting them to getting there.”