Brentford striker Yoane Wissa will be missing in action for “a couple of months” thanks to an ankle injury he suffered during their 2-1 defeat to Manchester City on Saturday, the Bees head coach Thomas Frank said.
The DR Congo international, who scored the opening goal inside the first 22 seconds at Etihad Stadium, limped off during first half stoppage time after a tackle from City midfielder Mateo Kovacic.
The 28-year-old has been in great form for the Bees this season with three goals and an assist in four Premier League games, forming a lethal partnership with Cameroon international Bryan Mbeumo.
“[Yoane] Wissa is, unfortunately, not good news – it looks like an injury that will be a couple of months,” Frank said ahead of their League Cup clash against Leyton Orient on Tuesday.
“It’s very frustrating. We talked about our many injuries last year – I hope I don’t have to talk too much about it this year. I maybe already have.
“We were unlucky with Igor [Thiago], unlucky with [Aaron] Hickey. We’ve then had two contact injuries with Mathias Jensen and Wissa, so that’s very frustrating.
“But that’s part of football – we move on, and we will find solutions.”
Thomas Frank on Wissa’s injury
“Wissa is not good news. It looks like an injury that will be a couple of months. It’s very frustrating. It will leave a hole but I will find a solution and other players will step up”
We’re all with you, Wissa 🙏 pic.twitter.com/MqSR21lEcR
— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) September 16, 2024
Brentford currently have limited options in their striking department following the departure of Ivan Toney and a knee injury to club-record signing Igor Thiago. Although this will cause some headache for Frank, the Bees’ manager is optimistic of his team’s chances in “finding a solution” to their current predicament
“Everybody was saying we bought Igor Thiago to replace Ivan [Toney] – but we still had Wissa. We bought Igor Thiago to build the squad and provide competition in the squad,” the 50-year-old said.
“Wissa had a very good season last year and I thought he has started the season very well this year, with three goals in four games – that’s a very good number.
“He’s just been very important for us and that’s going to leave a hole. But, again, I will find a solution.”
With Wissa expected to return in November, his injury also serves as huge blow to DR Congo in their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign.
The Leopards, drawn in their Group H, began their journey to Morocco 2025 with vital wins over Guinea and Ethiopia earlier this month, and with Sebastien Desabre’s side set to face Tanzania in a double-header in the next international window in October, Wissa’s injury makes for a sore sight.
