Striker Alexander Isak is likely to be fit for Newcastle’s home game against Wolves tomorrow night.
The Sweden international missed Sunday’s FA Cup win over Bromley after picking up a minor hamstring problem in last week’s 2-0 win against Arsenal in the EFL Cup.
Isak has scored in seven consecutive Premier League games, helping Newcastle to fifth in the table, and head coach Eddie Howe is confident he will have his star man at his disposal.
Howe said: “Of course he will be desperate to play. they [goalscoring] races I’m not too focused on and don’t care too much about, but I understand that individuals will care a lot about them and I’d like Alex to keep scoring. I think the most important thing for me is that the team works well for him and that he works well for the team. Those two things go hand in hand.
“It will be there or there somewhere. We haven’t seen him train yet, but we’re keeping our fingers crossed that he will [available]. We have to be careful, of course, but that’s why I did what I did against Arsenal, to try and protect him and make sure we don’t lose him. He is such a valuable player for us. We’re keeping our fingers crossed that everything will be fine, he’ll be fine and he’ll take his place in the team.”
Eddie Howe on Alexander Isak:
“Of course he will be desperate to play. I would like Alex to keep scoring, but the most important thing for me is that the team works well for him and he works well for the team. The two go hand in hand. We looked like we were scoring goals… pic.twitter.com/w1ev2vNP7Y
— Newcastle United (@NUFC) January 14, 2025
The key trio will probably perform as well
Sven Botman, Jacob Murphy and Joe Willock are also likely to return.
“We’ll look at them again today,” Howe added. “They are left out [against Bromley] with the right reasons, all different things, but we’re not hoping for anything bigger. So many little problems we had to solve. Fingers crossed that it will be there or thereabouts.”
Barnes kick
There was less positive news for winger Harvey Barnes, who is expected to be out for around four weeks after damaging a hamstring against the League Two side.
“Harvey will be out for a while,” Howe said. “We don’t think it’s a serious injury, but it will be enough to keep him out for a few weeks. I think we’ll probably be looking for about a month. Don’t hold me to it, but it’s kind of an early estimate.
“He had a scan. Like I said, it’s not too bad, but it will be enough to keep him out. It is an injury to the thigh, the muscles on the thigh. He did it by passing the ball towards the end of the first half. He felt he could last until halftime, but then it became obvious at halftime that he couldn’t come out in the second half.”
