There is a lot of pressure on Yoane Wissa to deliver at Newcastle United.
There was pressure as soon as he arrived, with the 29-year-old becoming one of Newcastle United’s most expensive signings ever at £55million and being given the number nine shirt.
That pressure has since intensified, with a knee injury forcing Yoane Wissa to miss months of action.
But a return is now close. He is finally training with his Toon teammates, and the hope is that Wissa could make his debut against Burnley on Saturday.
That will be his first opportunity to make up for lost time, and the noises from the Newcastle United training ground are that he is well placed to do just that.
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Not long until we see THIS Yoane Wissa!
Yoane Wissa dazzles Newcastle United teammates in training
That is according to Sky Sports reporter Keith Downie, who has provided an update on Wissa via his YouTube channel.
Downie has spoken to one of the Newcastle United players who has been training alongside Wissa, and he has given a glowing review of the forward’s performances.
“I was speaking to one of the Newcastle players last week who said to me he’s been training alongside them for a number of days now,” he said.
“He looks… the word that was given to me was ‘frightening’. He looks absolutely frightening. He looks red hot in training, really sharp, finishing superb.
“The rest of the Newcastle players have been really impressed with what they’ve seen from Yoane Wissa in training.”
What is planned next for Yoane Wissa ahead of Newcastle United debut
Ahead of Newcastle United’s game against Tottenham Hotspur, Eddie Howe confirmed that Wissa had taken part in a 11-a-side training game over the weekend.
The Newcastle United manager added that the plan is for Wissa to take part in another behind closed doors game, as he continues to build his fitness back up.
Imagine the scenes if Yoane Wissa’s first game back sees him score the winner in the derby 😍
Downie has provided more insight on what Newcastle plan to do with Wissa, as they aim to ensure he is ready to have an instant impact in black and white.
“My understanding is I think it could potentially be an under-21s game, or maybe just a behind closed doors game,” he said.
“But I think there was hope at one point last week he would play an under-21s game and get some minutes under his belt and see where he is after that.”
One thing Newcastle United no longer need to worry about is the Africa Cup of Nations. It has been confirmed that DR Congo have not selected Wissa, meaning he will not miss any more Toon games beyond this injury.
Wissa is focused on Newcastle United, and there is very much light at the end of the tunnel regarding his fitness.