All the talk this week is centering around Newcastle’s final day meeting with Everton at St James’ Park.
Win it and we’ve got Champions League football secured for next season, so we’re desperate to have Alexander Isak fit to start after our top scorer sat out of last Sunday’s 1-0 defeat at Arsenal.
The striker was named in the Sweden squad earlier today, raising hopes that he may be OK, but a slightly mixed update has arrived on his current status on Thursday tea time.
According to Craig Hope at [The Mail](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-14739255/Newcastle-Isak-stadium-transfers-Delap.html), Alexander Isak chances of making this weekend’s 2024/25 finale at home to Everton are currently at ’50-50′.
He reports that his inclusion in the Sweden squad is NOT a clear indicator that he’s fully overcome a groin issue, with Newcastle still needing to assess the forward in the coming days.
Isak was not included in any of the club’s training photos on Thursday and Hope has been told that he has a ’50-50′ chance of making it.
It’s hoped that the muscle tightness around his groin will ease in the next 48 hours and talk of an end-of-season operation has ben played down.
However, it seems we could be facing a nervy wait, especially as Eddie Howe is unlikely to give away too much in tomorrow morning’s press conference.
Should Isak miss out on Sunday, we’ll have three options in attack.
Start Callum Wilson in what could be his last outing in a black and white shirt, play Anthony Gordon in a false nine role, allowing Barnes and Murphy to play out wide, or go with Danish wildcard Will Osula.
The latter seems highly unlikely, despite him impressing Howe in training, leaving Wilson as Gordon as the most likely options.
Hopefully it doesn’t come to that, as we’ve not won the four games Alexander Isak hasn’t started this season!