Eddie Howe dealing with Yoanne Wissa set-back and triple fitness worry before derby against Sunderland
Eddie Howe is managing a Yoanne Wissa set-back alongside two additional worries in the build-up to Newcastle’s trip to Sunderland
Newcastle United summer signing Yoane Wissa suffered another small setback in his return to full fitness after Eddie Howe confirmed the forward had fallen ill ahead of the Champions League draw with Bayer Leverkusen.
Wissa, who joined Newcastle from Brentford in a £55million deal on deadline day, only recently returned from a knee injury that kept him sidelined for three months. The 29-year-old made late substitute appearances against both Burnley and Leverkusen, with Wednesday night marking his Champions League debut for the club.
His introduction in Germany came shortly after Newcastle conceded an 88th-minute equaliser, leaving Wissa with little opportunity to influence the game. Despite scoring 20 goals for Brentford last season, the DR Congo international has barely featured for Newcastle due to injury and a lack of pre-season. With no African Cup of Nations commitments this winter and a packed fixture list ahead, Howe is expected to begin integrating him more regularly — but his fitness remains a talking point.
When asked whether Wissa is ready to start matches, Howe revealed the forward had been unwell in the build-up to the Leverkusen match. Howe said: “Yes, he can [start]. Whether he's physically able to and how long he's able to play, they’re all questions.
“He had a bit of illness in the last 24 hours, hence why he only got a few minutes today. It is unfortunate because he was going in the right direction. So, a little knock back there. But, yes, we'll train him today. We're all back in, and he'll get some work, and we'll see how he is.”
The Wissa update comes at a time when Newcastle already face midfield uncertainty ahead of the Wear–Tyne derby. Joelinton is a major doubt after suffering a groin issue in Germany, while Sandro Tonali is still working towards full sharpness following illness, a knock against Spurs and what Howe described as a “bitty couple of months”. Both players looked short of physical rhythm in midweek, adding to the selection questions Howe must solve before Sunday.
Régis Le Bris offers injury update
Régis Le Bris says Sunderland midfielder Habib Diarra is set to miss next weekend’s Wear-Tyne derby, with the head coach admitting the fixture against Newcastle United will likely come too soon for the 21-year-old.
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Diarra has been stepping up his recovery following groin surgery earlier this season and had been in a race to return in time for the derby. While progress has been positive, Le Bris believes the timing will work against him. The Frenchman did, however, offer encouragement elsewhere, revealing that Reinildo is expected to return after sitting out the 3-0 defeat to Manchester City with a groin issue. "For Rei, it could be okay but for Habib, it would be too short, I think," Le Bris said.
Sunderland will also have Granit Xhaka and Noah Sadiki available for the derby after both avoided a booking at the Etihad. Le Bris moved to withdraw the pair late on, protecting them for Sunday’s clash, with Romaine Mundle and Simon Adingra introduced instead.
Le Bris later explained his decision not to turn to Dan Neil was to keep attacking momentum, with Lutsharel Geertruida pushed into midfield. "Yes, because we tried to stay in the game, to provoke something," he said. "I think with offensive players on the side, it was more or less the idea. It didn't work, but we tried."