Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe is confident that summer arrival Yoane Wissa will rediscover his goalscoring form at the club.
The DR Congo forward joined the Magpies on transfer deadline day last September in a £55 million move from Brentford.
Wissa had been involved in a saga with the Bees and went public on his desire to leave, before eventually forcing his move.
However, things did not go as planned after his transfer as he suffered a serious knee injury which kept him out of action for a while, before he made his long-awaited debut in December.
“I am hopeful that he can find his best form as we go through the season. I think he will continue to get better and better physically”, Howe said in Friday’s pre-match press conference.
“Unfortunately, there is no magic wand to his physical condition because when he came to us he hadn’t trained regularly anyway, then he picked up a serious knee injury and he is starting again – in a hurry to get fit for his new team desperate to impress and get back.”
Wissa has scored just three times for Newcastle this season as he continues his journey to full fitness.
The 29-year-old scored 19 times for Brentford last season, but has only scored one in 10 outings for the Magpies since his return to action.
“He is fit and he’s fine. It is just his match sharpness and things you take for granted when you’re fully fit”, Eddie Howe added.
“Sometimes it can be hard to refind as quickly as you want to. There is no doubting his quality, his goalscoring abilities and his instincts are still there – it is just getting that last bit of sharpness in his game that will come through time.”
Wissa will be hoping to shine in Newcastle’s next outing when they face his former club Brentford on Saturday, hoping to return to winning ways.
Olakitan is a young writer with a strong passion for sports, having gained experience with IndyPress and Nimelssa Press. His enthusiasm for sports inspired him to cover events both within his school and beyond. With a deep understanding of the game and a refined skillset, he brings sports coverage to a broad, global audience in a way that’s engaging and accessible.
