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Alexander Isak will once again not feature for Newcastle United in the upcoming pre-season games this weekend.
The 25-year-old forward has been training on his own even after Eddie Howe’s men returned from their South Korea trip.
Eddie Howe has insisted that Isak must “earn the right” to rejoin the squad. Former manager Alan Pardew has also weighed in on the situation.
“I wouldn’t say it’s inevitable but it looks like Liverpool are playing the game,” he said on talkSPORT.
“There are not voices coming out of Liverpool saying we’re not interested, let’s just park that one. It’s rumbling on and it’s massively unsettling for Eddie, the fan base and ownership of Newcastle.
“At some point, I would expect them to dig their heels in and say he is not going. I think that might happen, actually. My theory on this has changed.
“I think Newcastle are going to dig their heels in a little bit and get him back into work, get his head around it. He probably won’t be there for the first two or three games but that is the route to go.
“I had it with Yohan Cabaye. Arsenal came in for him and we didn’t accept the bid. He was on the verge of going on strike, he didn’t want to play. This was in the January window.
“It does make it really difficult but eventually his head got around it and he was back to playing at his best. I expect Isak to do that.
“The one thing that worries me about the Isak one is the rumour that it sounds like his team or management group put it out that he went into the club last year for a new contract and it didn’t happen and that’s where the grievance comes.
“If that is what he’s carrying, like ‘I’m done’, then they have got a problem.”
The Magpies are set to face Espanyol and Atletico Madrid this weekend in the Sela Cup, but according to Craig Hope, the Swede will sit the fixtures out.
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