Newcastle United may now be getting some positive injury news as Eddie Howe ahs revealed that one player missing against Fulham could return against Chelsea.
After playing six games in a row in such a short period, Alexander Isak was missing for Newcastle’s game against Fulham on Saturday afternoon with a suspected groin problem.
In his press conference today, Howe confirmed that the striker was struggling with the same injury that had kept him out for weeks earlier in the season, and now he’s hopeful of a quick return.
Howe says Isak could play against Chelsea tomorrow
It won’t have come as too much of a surprise to see Isak’s name omitted from the starting lineup against Fulham, but there was still little warning or expectation that he would unavailable altogether.
It’s been clear to see that the Swedish international has been struggling with something for the last couple of weeks and it’s restricting him from playing to his full abilities. Against AC Milan during the week he looked shattered despite coming off the bench.
Howe wants to reassure fans that the Newcastle man’s injury worries aren’t something to be too concerned about and he could even feature against Chelsea, but supporters will naturally be cautious considering the injury problems they’ve dealt with this season.
We’ll know more once the scan has been done and the club learn the extent of the injury, but all Howe can do right now is hope that he will have the option of the talented striker to at least come off the bench and make an impact in tomorrow’s game.
In his press conference, Howe said: “Alex [Isak] has a problem with his groin, he had a scan last week, it is not a big problem. It is minor, probably more fatigue than anything. It is enough for us to need to monitor him and be careful with him. He has a chance for Chelsea but we will see.“
Newcastle can’t afford for Isak to have a spell out of the side
While he may not have a serious long-term injury, Newcastle still cannot afford to have the 24-year-old miss the next few games given that Callum Wilson has also only just returned from an injury.
We saw what happened with Isak when Wilson was out, it reaggravated this groin injury once again, so Newcastle will have to figure out an alternative or identify a new forward in January if the problem persists.
It’s been a real shame for Howe because his attacking duo are serious threats and two of the most lethal strikers in the Premier League, he just hasn’t been able to keep them both fit at the same time this season.
Receive a digest of our best Newcastle content each week direct to your mailbox
