The Sweden international continues to train alone as Eddie Howe forecasts the week ahead
Alexander Isak warms up
Newcastle United's Alexander Isak continues to train separately
Alexander Isak continues to train in isolation at Newcastle United's Benton base with Eddie Howe making it clear over the weekend he is unlikely to feature against Aston Villa in the Premier League curtain raiser.
Of course, in football things can change quickly, but Howe revealed on Saturday night that it had not been easy to talk to the Sweden striker, and if he'd been able to persuade the centre-forward to pull on a black-and-white shirt, that would have been resolved by now.
So what happens now for Newcastle and Isak? For a start, United continue to look for a new striker capable of filling Isak's boots with Benfica's Vangelis Pavlidis the latest name that has been put to the Magpies by intermediaries, although he is on a list of possibilities.
Newcastle are also yet to get an increased offer for Isak with the last bid from Liverpool coming on August 1 from the Reds. That offer, worth around £110m, was swiftly rejected.
What must follow is a heftier bid, there has been talk of £150m but others on the agent circuit have suggested that £130m plus add ons may yet offer a breakthrough. Either way Isak has been handed an ultimatum, no serious offer - no transfer.
Until then the door is ajar for Isak to get his boots on and train in the build-up to Villa Park and play again for the black-and-whites, something he has shown no interest in doing this pre-season.
United now go into the Premier League opener without the man - mentally at least - who scored 27 times for them last season and helped blast them into the Champions League.
Images of Isak have been removed from the club shop, and during Newcastle's stay in South Korea, Adidas workers confirmed to Chronicle Live that sales of the new shirt bearing the striker's name immediately slumped the moment he missed the flight for the Far East.
Isak had previously been the poster boy of the new third kit launch earlier this summer, even appearing in Adidas adverts with club legend Tino Asprilla at the Tyneside Irish Centre, but that was long before his head was turned by his agent.
Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton remain popular choices of the fans but the hope is that a new forward can recapture some of the lost sales.
But on the training ground, Howe most solider on without his talisman and while his absence is a major factor in preparations, Howe admitted that ensuring the morale of the group is also vital.
He said: "I think the group has been disrupted, of course, but I think whenever you have a player in this situation, it's unsettling for the team.
"I don't think we've been in that position since I've been here, the harmony and togetherness of the group has been at its highest, so I think naturaly it's just been a topic of conversation, it's been a distraction and the biggest hit we've taken is we're not blessed with a number of players in his position, so I think you've seen a big gap.
"But I have to say, big credit to the players because they've gt on with their work, training has been of a really high level.
"I haven't seen a negative output on the pitch, but I have been aware of feeling around the group that there's something there that's not to the benefit of the group."
It leaves Newcastle in a tough position going into the Villa game with Anthony Gordon's honest shift against Atletico Madrid not producing a goal and Joelinton squandering a host of chances.
Howe was even asked if he'd consider asking the Brazilian to play striker again this season with the former no.9 converted to a midfielder by Howe but this was laughed off by the head coach.
When asked if Isak could still be roused to return at Villa Park, Howe simply said: "I don't see that changing before Aston Villa, the current situation we're in."
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