As Newcastle United moves into the busiest part of its season, managing the fitness of the entire squad becomes one of the manager’s most important and challenging jobs.
The team is facing a packed schedule of matches in the Premier League and the start of their UEFA Champions League campaign, which means everyone will need to contribute. This makes getting timely updates on injured players absolutely crucial for planning ahead.
Unfortunately, the news on new signing Yoane Wissa is not what anyone at the club would have wanted to hear.
According to a detailed report from The Athletic’s Chris Waugh, the striker is expected to be out of action until after the next international break in October.
This is a frustrating setback for both the player and the team. The most disappointing part is that Wissa picked up this knee injury before he could even complete his first full training session with his new teammates. It is a tough way to begin your journey at a new club.
There was some initial concern that the injury could be very serious, like an ACL problem, which would have kept him out for most of the season.
However, the club has since received more positive news from a specialist. While Wissa will still need time to recover, the injury is not as severe as first feared.
The current expectation is that he will be sidelined for approximately four to six weeks. For a player who was known for his incredible durability and availability during his time at Brentford, this delay to his Newcastle debut is an unfortunate twist of fate.
Fans will likely have to wait until the middle or even the end of October to see him in action.
On a much more positive note, there is encouraging news regarding defender Lewis Hall. The young player has been working his way back to full fitness after dealing with a long-term foot problem that required surgery.
The recent international break, when many players were away with their national teams, provided a perfect opportunity for the coaching staff to focus on Hall.
They used this time to carefully increase his training workload, and they have been very pleased with how he has responded.
Because he missed a large part of the pre-season, the club is being very careful not to rush him back too quickly.
The plan is to gradually increase his minutes over the coming weeks, allowing him to build his match fitness and sharpness safely.
This is a sensible approach for a player they see as an important part of the team’s future.
So far this season, manager Eddie Howe has largely kept a consistent defensive lineup, relying on the group of Kieran Trippier, Fabian Schar, Dan Burn, and Tino Livramento in front of goalkeeper Nick Pope.
This consistency has paid off brilliantly, with the team managing to keep three clean sheets in their first four league games. It is a fantastic foundation to build upon.
However, with so many important games coming up in a short period of time, including a huge Champions League match against Barcelona, rotation will be unavoidable.
Players will need to rest to avoid fatigue and injuries. This is where the return of someone like Lewis Hall becomes so valuable.
Having him available provides the manager with more options and flexibility, which is essential for navigating a successful season on multiple fronts.
For now, the team will continue to build on its strong defensive start while patiently waiting for Yoane Wissa to finally make his long-awaited debut.
