'I'm happy' - Yoane Wissa delivers Nick Woltemade Newcastle United verdict after six-week injury blow
Newcastle United striker Yoane Wissa has discussed the prospect of playing with record signing Nick Woltemade once he returns from injury.
Yoane Wissa will be pushing to make his Newcastle United debut next month following a knee injury.
The forward joined The Magpies from Brentford on deadline day for £55million but suffered an injury on international duty with DR Congo.
Although not initially thought to be serious, Eddie Howe later confirmed it would be enough to rule Wissa out for the next seven matches, including Barcelona in the Champions League.
The forward is expected to remain sidelined until Newcastle’s trip to Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League on October 18 at the earliest.
Providing an update on Wissa’s injury ahead of Newcastle’s Carabao Cup match against Bradford City, Howe said: “He's receiving treatment and no operation is needed.
“I think we're looking at the other side of the international break. We hope he can be fit and available for that first game [v Brighton].”
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Yoane Wissa absence puts pressure on NUFC attack
Wissa was signed after a 20-goal season for Brentford to help ease the transition of life after Alexander Isak.
But the forward’s injury has made that transition process less seamless over the past few games.
Record signing Nick Woltemade scored on his debut against Wolverhampton Wanderers before dropping out of the line-up against Barcelona. The German then returned to the side at Bournemouth but wasn’t able to register a shot on goal during another 0-0 away draw for Eddie Howe’s side.
With Woltemade adapting to his new surroundings and Newcastle still finding a new way to attack this season, the timing of Wissa’s injury has been particularly impactful - putting increased pressure on Woltemade to lead the line.
“If he [Wissa] was available now he'd be allowing us to work with Nick's fitness in between games and sharing some of the load,” Howe admitted. “But certainly we need him back and need him back quickly.
“[Woltemade] has come to us not being used to the demands of Premier League football and this league is relentless physically and our schedule is relentless. In terms of us doing physical work with him, that’s very, very difficult.
“A lot of what we will be doing with him in the short-term is keeping him fit by not putting him in dangerous positions by making him play consecutive 90 minutes too early.”
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Yoane Wissa delivers Nick Woltemade verdict
Once he returns to fitness, Wissa will embrace the attacking competition with Woltemade.
“I watched a couple of his games at the [Under-21] Euros this summer and I spoke to my former teammate Vitaly Janelt and said ‘he's good, this guy’, which he agreed,” Wissa said in the Newcastle matchday programme.
“I think he's a good player who is able to play anywhere because he's very skilful. When you come to a big club, there is always competition and we need to be able to push each other and make sure we are in the best position as a team.