Wissa, aged 29, sustained a knee injury while on international duty and has not played for Newcastle since transferring from Brentford at the beginning of the Premier League season.

However, he has resumed training, and on Monday, Newcastle’s manager Eddie Howe stated: "Yoane took part in an 11 v 11 training match during our time at Everton. He will have another session sometime this week, and we will assess how close he is to returning to play.”

Nevertheless, DR Congo coach Sebastien Desabre has excluded Wissa from the squad for this month’s tournament in Morocco.

Instead, he has maintained confidence in the team that secured qualification last month through the World Cup African playoff, earning a place in the inter-confederation playoffs in Mexico in March, where DR Congo will face either New Caledonia or Jamaica to compete for a spot at the World Cup hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the US.

Desabre has called up former Belgium youth internationals Michel-Ange Balikwisha, goalkeeper Matthieu Epolo and Mario Stroeykens, all of whom received their first call-ups last month.

During his debut, Balikwisha scored a penalty in the shootout as they narrowly defeated Nigeria in Morocco to win the African World Cup qualifying playoff.

The Congolese team is in Group D and will open their campaign against Benin in Rabat on December 23. Their group also includes Botswana and Senegal .

Squad

Goalkeepers: Matthieu Epolo (Standard Liege), Timothy Fayulu (Noah), Lionel Mpasi (Le Havre)

Defenders: Rocky Bushiri (Hibernian), Gedeon Kalulu (Aris Limassol), Steve Kapuadi (Legia Warsaw), Joris Kayembe (Genk), Arthur Masuaku (Sunderland), Chancel Mbemba (Marseille), Axel Tuanzebe (Burnley), Aaron Wan-Bissaka (West Ham)

Midfielders: Theo Bongonda (Spartak Moscow), Michel-Ange Balikwisha (Celtic), Brian Cipenga (Castellon), Edo Kayembe (Watford), Nathanael Mbuku (Montpellier), Samuel Moutoussamy (Atromitos), Ngal'ayel Mukau (Lille), Charles Pickel (Espanyol), Noah Sadiki (Sunderland), Mario Stroeykens (Anderlecht)

Forwards: Cedric Bakambu (Real Betis), Simon Banza (Al Jazira), Samuel Essende (Augsburg), Meshack Elia (Alanyaspor), Fiston Mayele (Pyramids)