Eddie Howe has given a fitness update on Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak and has said his star man will be available for the Carabao Cup final against Liverpool
The Swedish international has struggled with injury issues recently and missed the Premier League trip to Anfield last week with a groin issue. He returned for the FA Cup defeat by Brighton & Hove Albion four days later but was replaced late on and appeared to be limping as he made way.
Speaking on Friday, Howe confirmed Isak has trained all week and is in line to play against West Ham United on Monday night. There’s no temptation from the Newcastle boss to rest him for the clash against the Hammers despite his recent fitness issues.
“As I said, if he is fit, he will play because that is the best way to get him in the best physical condition for future games,” said Howe.
“Footballers are finely tuned athletes and when they are ready to play they have to play. You have to give them that opportunity. Fingers crossed Alex will be fine. I understand the intense sort of speculation and spotlight on him but the best thing we can do is just relax and let him play his football.”
In an earlier answer, Howe said of Isak. “He’s fine. He came off feeling fatigued, a tightness in his body. But he’s trained every day this week. We still have two more training sessions before Monday night’s game but at the moment that would be enough. Fingers crossed we can keep everyone else fit.”
Isak’s availability is a huge boost amid a spate of recent absentees for the Magpies. News emerged this week that Lewis Hall has been ruled out for the rest of the season while Sven Botman is set to undergo surgery and miss around eight weeks. Anthony Gordon will also miss the Carabao Cup final after he was sent off against Brighton.
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“We discussed it as a club, with the respected people that we need to discuss it with, the lawyers,” Howe said when asked if he considered appealing the dismissal. “We just felt that there probably wasn’t sufficient grounds.
“There’s no intention from him to hurt anybody. But you have to look at it and go ‘Does this have a chance of being successful?’. If there’s no chance of being successful, what’s the point of appealing? So Anthony understands.”
