Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe is facing a race against time to determine the fitness of star striker Alexander Isak ahead of their crucial Premier League match against Everton next weekend. Isak, who has been instrumental for the Magpies since his arrival, was absent from the squad during their recent 1-0 defeat to Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium. The Swedish international’s condition remains uncertain after he underwent a precautionary scan following discomfort experienced during training.
Eddie Howe said: “That’s unknown. I don’t at this moment in time. He only felt pain after training, he’d felt fine during training and it was just a bit of stiffness really. So he went for a scan this morning purely a precaution. Then it became obvious that he was not going to be fit to play. I don’t know. A lot depends on how he will react in the next few days. He has had a couple of groin injuries either side, this is one he had earlier in the season.”
Howe was asked if Isak needs surgery in the summer and added: “I don’t think it is a surgery issue. It’s not something that needs mending. But yeah it is definitely not a surgery issue it’s what is he doing to strengthen that area, which we will look at and focus on.”
The press conference also resulted in an Arsenal correspondent asking if Howe could guarantee Isak would be in a Newcastle shirt next term. He said: “I never make those guarantees about any player. It’s not do with Alex’s future, I’d be foolish to sit here and do anything like that. We want to keep our strongest players. I have said that as long as I’ve sat in this seat. We have to keep our strongest players and bring in more good players to make us stronger because of the ambition of the club and everybody connected with it is long-term success, and that’s the only way we can try to get that.”
Howe said: “It’s a difficult one to go too deep into that because the standard of our performance with him missing was still really, really strong. We did create chances and did look really good in that first half. Yes, the final action, which he (Isak) is better than anybody at, he has been a brilliant finisher for us this season, but unfortunately from Callum’s point of view none fell to him. Bruno had one and Harvey had his shot and set-plays were a big threat for us. But it was a really strong performance in his absence. That has to be the big confidence lift that we need when you review this game.”
Despite Isak’s absence, Howe praised his team’s performance against Arsenal, highlighting their ability to create chances and maintain a strong presence on the field. However, the lack of a clinical finisher in Isak’s mold was evident, as Newcastle failed to capitalize on their opportunities. Howe remains hopeful that Isak’s condition will improve in the coming days, allowing him to feature in the upcoming fixture against Everton, which could prove pivotal in Newcastle’s pursuit of success this season.
