· 9 August 2025, 10:03
**Eddie Howe spoke to the media after Newcastle United's 2-2 draw with Espanyol at St James' Park on Friday night, and of course, all questions were regarding Alexander Isak.**
Newcastle let a 2-1 lead slip in the 89th minute in the game against Espanyol on Friday night as the Sela Weekender got underway.
The Magpies will play again today as they take on Atletico Madrid for the Sela Cup with Eddie Howe having saved his main attacking threats for this game.
But it was the absence of a certain attacker that had the press room talking on Friday night after the game, as questions about Alexander Isak's future dominated the presser.
Eddie Howe is trying to keep the door open for Alexander Isak
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It was Eddie Howe's first chance to speak about what's happening since returning from Asia, and it sounds like it's game over for Isak at Newcastle, as much as Howe is trying to keep the door open for him.
> "We've had discussions and it's clear at the moment that we can't involve him with the group. I don't know how long that will be for, but that's the latest."I'd want Alex to be playing today. I'd want him training tomorrow. We would love the player to be with us.
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> "Let me make that absolutely clear. There's no part of me that doesn't want that outcome, but I don't see the current situation changing for Aston Villa."
We still can't believe how Alexander Isak has behaved
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It's not clear who is making the call to keep Isak separate from the group, whether it's the player himself, Howe or someone above him, but what is clear is that Isak's actions have created a rift in the camp with Howe admitting that players are struggling with what's going on.
If he's disrupting the camp, regardless of whether he's being kept separate or not, it seems that the best course of action now is to let him go. There doesn't appear to be any way back for him after this.
Who'd have thought that Isak would turn out to be such a petty, selfish person? He could have gone about this whole thing so much better.