Newcastle boss Eddie Howe hopes Yoane Wissa will be fit for Brighton game after the international break | OneFootball

Newcastle United are back in action at St James’ Park to take on Bradford City in the League Cup, and Magpies manager Eddie Howe provided an update on the club’s injury situation.

The Geordies will be without summer signing Yoane Wissa, who is still recovering from a knee injury that has left him unable to make his debut for the club.

Hailed as an ‘unbelievable signing’, Wissa joined Newcastle this summer for £55 million, but has yet to feature for the Toons, and it looks like his first match might still be weeks away.

Howe said (via NUFC’s website): “He’s receiving treatment and no operation is needed.

“I think we’re looking at the other side of the international break. We hope he can be fit and available for that first game.”

Newcastle take on Brighton & Hove Albion immediately after the international break on October 18. The Magpies will be praying to have Wissa fit and firing for that game.

The Geordies went through a lot of trouble to get Wissa’s signature and cannot wait to unleash the DR Congo international, who bagged 19 league goals last term.

In the meantime, Howe will have to make do with Nick Woltemade. The German is still adapting to the pace of the Premier League, but has been excellent in his cameos.

However, Newcastle have not been scoring goals freely and stuttered to another 0-0 draw with AFC Bournemouth over the weekend.

Some have mindlessly lumped the blame on Woltemade, but Howe backed the former Stuttgart man.

“I thought overall he had a decent game,” Howe said. “Some of his link play in the build-up was really good.

“He was a focal point that we needed and enabled us to get higher up the pitch.

“As a team, we didn’t function particularly well in the attacking half. There’s no denying that we weren’t creating chances for him.

“As a centre-forward, you are reliant on that service and we didn’t provide him with enough.”