Newcastle United latest news: Arne Slot has provided an update on Alexander Isak’s fitness.
Isak has missed the last two months of action after breaking his leg during a clash with Tottenham Hotspur in December. The Swedish international has returned to the grass, but is not expected to be back in action for a number of weeks - although Slot is expecting to have the striker back in contention before the end of the campaign.
Before suffering that injury, Isak had scored just three times in all competitions for the Reds following his £130m move from Newcastle United. Slot, though, believes that Liverpool fans can expect a different Isak to the one that began the campaign when he eventually returns to full fitness.
“It's nice for him to go on the pitch and it's nice for us to see him there,” Slot said in his pre-match press conference ahead of Liverpool’s clash with Nottingham Forest.
“There's still enough work to be done but you do know, as a player, you arrive in the final stages of your rehab. When you're in the gym and not on the pitch, that's not the nicest part.
“Next step is doing ball with the work, which every player likes most, and then into the group. Then it takes a while before you're ready to play.”
He added: “That gives us a different player to what we have now. But we are also expecting a different player at the end of the season than we had in the first part, which makes complete sense because I've said it a hundred times that I think we have to give him time.
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“If a player has been out for four or five months only in individual training, we cannot expect that he's up to speed straight away, so unfortunately for him and for us we haven't used the best Alex yet but this club and our fans will see the best Alex hopefully this season but for sure in the upcoming years.
“Let's not put a timescale on it, but it's clear that he will be available if everything goes as planned this season.”
Newcastle United’s striker options
Isak’s long and protracted transfer saga this summer resulted in him moving to Anfield on deadline day, with Newcastle United adding Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa to their ranks to replace both him and Callum Wilson. Woltemade started the campaign as a striker in Wissa’s absence but has most recently shifted into, and impressed in, a slightly advanced midfield role.
Wissa’s current injury issues mean that Anthony Gordon has led the line in recent weeks, with Will Osula also handed a start in the FA Cup at Villa Park on Saturday. Eddie Howe has a number of options in attack, and will benefit from Wissa’s return to fitness, but may be forced to chop, change and rotate those options during their gruelling upcoming fixture schedule.
A trip to face Manchester City in the Premier League at the Etihad Stadium awaits them on Saturday night (8pm kick-off) before they welcome Qarabag to St James’ Park for the second-leg of their Champions League play-off round clash on Tuesday.
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