Yoane Wissa will not go to AFCON with DR Congo - and is pushing for his Newcastle debut this weekend.
The 29-year-old has now played in behind-closed-doors practice games at the club’s training ground after recovering from a knee injury.
Wissa suffered PCL damage playing for his country just a week after arriving on Tyneside in a £55million deal from Brentford on September 1. He only trained with his new team-mates for the first time last week.
And supporters, as well as manager Eddie Howe, are now celebrating the news that the 29-year-old will not take part in AFCON, which kicks off on December 21.