Yoane Wissa now facing Fernando Torres-type situation at Newcastle

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Yoane Wissa could replicate Fernando Torres at Newcastle United, but not for the reasons fans would initially expect.

After arriving at St James’ Park in a £55 million move from Brentford on deadline day, the forward was sidelined by a posterior cruciate ligament injury sustained during the September international break.

While Nick Woltemade has been sensational for club and country since his move to the Magpies this summer, Wissa’s absence has been a significant blow.

Now, as the 29-year-old nears the end of his rehabilitation, he will soon prepare for his debut in what could be the most talked-about clash in the Premier League this season.

Yoane Wissa is expected to make his Newcastle debut vs Brentford

Chief football reporter for the Daily Mail, Craig Hope, said on his YouTube channel that Wissa is on track to make his Newcastle debut against his former club, Brentford.

“And my understanding is that it’s not West Ham in the first week of November, but rather the soft target, more likely to be Brentford back at his former club the week after, on November the 9th.”

The most notable player in Premier League history to debut against his former employers is Torres, when he started for Chelsea against Liverpool at Stamford Bridge.

It is safe to say that Torres flopped at Chelsea following his £50m move to West London in 2011, and the Spaniard was left helpless as Raul Meireles secured a 1-0 win for the Reds on the day.

Wissa’s injury has cost Newcastle millions, and after a well-reported and long-drawn-out transfer saga, the supporters will be expecting the forward to make an instant impact.

Woltemade has set the standard on Tyneside, and Wissa will undoubtedly face an uphill battle to stake a claim for a starting berth ahead of the German.

However, Newcastle are expected to improve when Wissa returns, and the man who scored 19 Premier League goals last year will soon be asked to open his account for his new club against the side he fought tooth and nail to leave.

What Fernando Torres said ahead of his Chelsea debut vs Liverpool

Newcastle fans will be on the opposite side of what Liverpool fans experienced as one of the club’s most prolific strikers of the Premier League era salivated at the prospect of facing them on his debut.

Wissa will be greeted by a hostile atmosphere in West London, but as long as he keeps his head down and focuses on the task at hand, he will avoid suffering a similar fate to Torres.

“It is like destiny,” he said to BBC Sport in 2011. “It is not perfect, but if I have the chance to play, I will do my best, and hopefully I can score.

“I only have good words about Liverpool. They made me a top player and gave me the chance to play at the top level.

“I will never say anything bad about Liverpool. I have been very happy there, but now the history is different and I am playing for Chelsea.”

Torres was substituted midway through the second half after a non-existent display, foreshadowing his time at Stamford Bridge, and three minutes later Liverpool scored the match-winner.