Absence of Wissa a serious issue - and now a solution is needed

UNITED ARE SUFFERING WITHOUT THEIR NO.9

- By ROSS GREGORY Head of sport [e-mail]

YOANE Wissa's injury - and subsequent absence - is now becoming a serious issue for Eddie Howe and Newcastle United. If it doesn’t get resolved soon, the repercussions could be disastrous.

Wissa has yet to kick a ball for Newcastle since his £55million move from Brentford. No one seems to fully know when he will, either.

This is not the player's fault, of course. Injuries can’t be predicted or stopped; they are a part of football. One thing that can be addressed, however, is how a club reacts to them.

Newcastle are being patient with the DR Congo international, and rightly so. Knee injuries are a tricky thing and if the rehab isn’t done properly, it can lead to complications and setbacks further down the line.

Unfortunately, though, Newcastle are suffering now.

Wissa was supposed to be the ‘Premier League-ready’ striker Newcastle needed. They'd looked at Jorgen Strand Larsen, Joao Pedro and Liam Delap, and missed out on them for a variety of reasons. But with Alexander Isak on his way out of St James’ Park, they needed someone who was as near a replica as possible.