(Reuters) – Brentford forward Yoane Wissa will be sidelined for a couple of months due to an ankle injury, coach Thomas Frank said.
The 28-year-old DR Congo international, who was born in France, picked up the problem in their 2-1 defeat away by Manchester City on Saturday.
Wissa scored the fastest goal of the Premier League season at the Etihad Stadium, opening the scoring just 22 seconds after kickoff before City striker Erling Haaland scored a brace to seal the comeback and all three points for the champions.
“Wissa is, unfortunately, not good news: it looks like an injury that will be a couple of months,” Frank said in comments published on Brentford’s website on Monday.
“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 then had two contact injuries with Mathias Jensen and Yoane Wissa, so that’s very frustrating. But that’s part of football, we move on, and we will find solutions.”
Wissa, who joined Brentford from French club Lorient in 2021, has scored three goals in four Premier League matches for the West London side this season.
Having lost England striker Ivan Toney in the close-season transfer window after he left for Saudi Pro League club Al-Ahli, Brentford are ninth in the Premier League, winning two of their four games.
“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,” Frank added.
“He’s just been very important for us and that’s going to leave a hole. But, again, I will find a solution.”
Frank’s side host League One side Leyton Orient in the League Cup on Tuesday.
(Reporting by Pearl Josephine Nazare in Bengaluru; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
