Alexander Isak faces a late fitness test on a hip injury ahead of Newcastle's Premier League fixture against Liverpool on Wednesday. The striker was forced off after just 21 minutes in the 1-1 draw at Crystal Palace on Saturday.
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe revealed on Tuesday that Isak has not trained since the match. “We haven’t seen him in training yet. We don’t think it’s a long-term injury. We’ll see [against Liverpool]. It will be about pain management,” Howe said.
Isak has scored in home wins against Tottenham, Chelsea and Arsenal this season, making his potential absence a significant blow. Newcastle currently sit in the bottom half of the table following a defeat to West Ham and the draw at Palace.
Howe also expressed concern over the team's lack of improvement, describing a danger of “staleness.” He added, “It is never as simple or as clear-cut as people think from the outside. We have had a lot of issues this summer and we continue to have them. We’re not quite at our best, but I’m pretty sure that can change with one or two moments.”
