Newcastle injury boost emerges that’ll delight Eddie Howe, he could be back vs Burnley
Newcastle United have received a boost ahead of their Premier League clash with Burnley at St James’ Park on Saturday.
It was ultimately a disappointing night for Eddie Howe on Tuesday, with Cristian Romero‘s stoppage-time equaliser seeing Newcastle draw 2-2 with Tottenham.
The Magpies went ahead twice in the second half, but were forced to settle for a point after the defender’s acrobatic effort found the net.
Aaron Ramsdale took criticism for his performance against Tottenham, with the former Arsenal goalkeeper failing to keep out what was a fairly weak effort from Romero.
But on closer inspection, both Fabian Schar and Dan Burn can be held just as accountable after allowing the ball to pass them by too easily.
Yoane Wissa closes in on Newcastle United return
Newcastle signed Wissa from Brentford on transfer deadline day, in a deal reportedly worth around £55million.
The striker scored 19 Premier League goals last season and was expected to rotate with Nick Woltemade, or even accompany him up front for Howe’s team.
| Yoane Wissa | Premier League 2024-25 |
| Appearances | 35 |
| Goals | 19 |
| Assists | 4 |
| Chances created | 28 |
| Successful dribbles | 15 |
| Fouls won | 51 |
But before even making his debut, Wissa suffered a knee injury and was ruled out until after the October international break.
While the forward was expected to be out for a month, that absence has grown with the weeks that have followed, and the 29-year-old is still yet to appear for Newcastle.
In what will be a massive boost for Howe, however, that could finally be about to change. Luke Edwards reported on Wednesday that Wissa has completed another 11 vs 11 game and is closing in on a return.
There is even a chance that the DR Congo international could appear on the bench against Burnley on Saturday.
How could Newcastle set up with Wissa back?
Wissa thrived through the middle for Brentford last season, often combining with Bryan Mbeumo.
The 29-year-old will have a hard time displacing the superb Woltemade, however, who has scored five Premier League goals since making the move from VFB Stuttgart.
But the Bees sometimes opted to play both Wissa and Mbeumo in central areas – something Howe could replicate.
It would require a tweak in formation and the dropping of one of Newcastle’s relentless midfielders, but the prospect of a big-man-small-man partnership between the two could be too good not to test.