Newcastle United forward Yoane Wissa has been excluded from DR Congo’s squad for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations.
The 29-year-old has been sidelined since his £55 million transfer from Brentford due to a knee injury sustained while on international duty in September.
During that international window, Wissa scored in both of DR Congo’s matches before injuring his knee in a loss to Senegal.
Newcastle acted quickly to alleviate concerns about a potential anterior cruciate ligament injury, but the forward has only recently resumed controlled training.
His absence from the AFCON squad allows him to remain at Tyneside to focus on his recovery, thereby reducing the risk of missing out on the entire festive schedule.
Manager Eddie Howe confirmed that Wissa has already participated in a closed-door 11v11 session and has another one planned soon.
While there are no signs of him being rushed back into the lineup, the club is optimistic about his progress, as long as he avoids another setback.
Wissa’s absence from the tournament also signifies that DR Congo has chosen to retain most of the squad that advanced from last month’s World Cup African play-off.
The national team is set to face Benin, Botswana, and Senegal in Group D as they aim to succeed under the guidance of Sebastien Desabre.
Desabre has called up several new players, including Michel-Ange Balikwisha and Mario Stroeykens, but decided against including Wissa, who has previously been relied upon for scoring. This decision ensures that he can quickly reintegrate into the club once he receives medical clearance, with Newcastle hopeful that he could make a matchday squad in the next couple of weeks.