The situation surrounding Yoane Wissa at Newcastle United has gradually transformed from a short-term concern into a serious and worrying issue for Eddie Howe and his team. What began as an unfortunate injury setback is now threatening to create long-lasting damage if things don’t improve soon.
When a club spends £55 million on a player who is expected to make an immediate impact, every week of absence becomes more painful, and right now Newcastle are feeling that pressure more than ever.
Wissa hasn’t played a single minute since his big move from Brentford, and the worrying part is that nobody at the club seems completely sure when he will. None of this is the player’s fault. Injuries are part of football and no one chooses them.
They arrive suddenly and interrupt careers without warning. What a club can control, however, is how they respond, how they absorb the loss, and how quickly they find solutions. At the moment, Newcastle are struggling to do that.
The club have taken a cautious approach with Wissa’s knee problem, and that decision is understandable. Knee injuries are unpredictable and can become even worse if the rehab isn’t handled with total care. Rushing him back could create long-term complications, and Newcastle know they cannot afford that. But while patience is the right medical decision, it has come at a heavy footballing price.
Wissa was signed to be the Premier League-ready striker Newcastle desperately needed. They had looked at several options Jorgen Strand Larsen, Joao Pedro and Liam Delap but those deals didn’t materialise.
With Alexander Isak heading for the exit, Howe needed someone who could step in immediately and offer the same qualities: movement across the front line, pace and power in wide areas, the intelligence to stretch defences, and the instinct to finish inside the box. Wissa had all of that. His nineteen goals for Brentford last season proved it.
Because the deal was completed so late in the window, there was no room for delays. But every passing week without Wissa on the pitch has made the importance of that urgency even clearer. Newcastle needed him from day one, and instead they have had to adjust their entire approach.
Nick Woltemade has done well considering the circumstances. The £69 million signing has scored some important goals and has shown flashes of real quality. But his style isn’t naturally suited to the role Howe needs his main striker to play.
Newcastle’s recent identity has been built on intensity, pressing, pace, and aggressive forward movement. Woltemade prefers to drop deep, link play, and operate with his back to goal. That’s fine in certain systems, but it hasn’t always matched what Newcastle needed in this difficult period.
Woltemade himself admitted this recently when discussing the changes Howe has asked him to make. He spoke honestly about being used differently than he was at Stuttgart, explaining how Howe wants him to operate deeper, connect midfield and attack, and help build play rather than constantly threaten the space behind defenders
He even acknowledged that he is unsure how things will look once Wissa returns a sign of the uncertainty surrounding Newcastle’s attack.
But that return is still not close. And even when Wissa does eventually regain fitness, he will need minutes to rediscover rhythm and confidence. By the time that happens, he will likely depart for the African Cup of Nations, taking him away for up to a month just when Newcastle may be battling for crucial points.
Newcastle badly need a different attacking dimension. Howe himself admitted this at a recent club event. The idea of playing Woltemade and Wissa together is interesting, but it would require yet another tactical shift, and right now time is not on their side.
Opponents have already started exploiting Newcastle’s limitations. Brentford showed the blueprint last weekend. They knew Woltemade wouldn’t run in behind, so they pushed up aggressively, pressed the midfield, and squeezed Newcastle’s space.
Other Premier League teams have adopted similar plans, making life even harder for Howe’s men. Away from home, especially, Newcastle have struggled to impose themselves. The league table reflects it — they sit only two points above the relegation zone.
Howe is an excellent coach, someone who has proven time and again that he can adapt and find solutions. But this particular challenge is unlike any he has faced at Newcastle. The team is missing the player they built their plan around, and every game without Wissa puts more strain on the system, the squad, and the results.
Whether Wissa will eventually become the solution they paid for is still unknown. What is clear, though, is that Newcastle cannot continue like this for much longer. Something needs to change and quickly before this early-season issue turns into something far more damaging.
