There’s unease brewing inside the Newcastle United camp ahead of the club’s biggest game of the season. Just days before a potentially decisive Premier League showdown, one of the club’s most vital players is facing a race against time — and the signs behind the scenes aren’t entirely encouraging.
While fans may have been reassured by recent training ground photos, there’s a layer of concern that those images don’t show. Insiders suggest that although the player in question has rejoined group training, he’s still far from 100%. Sources describe his movements as “measured” and “protective,” a clear indication that the medical team is managing a very delicate situation.
The player? Alexander Isak — Newcastle’s attacking talisman and one of the league’s most in-form strikers.
Isak missed the clash against Arsenal with what was initially described as a “minor groin issue.” But internally, it’s being treated with far more caution than that label suggests. There are whispers that the injury is a recurrence of a previous problem that Newcastle thought had been managed — but might have flared up again at the worst possible time.
With 25 goals this season, Isak is not just any player — he is the player for Newcastle. His absence at the Emirates was glaring, and the lack of cutting edge in front of goal only amplified fears about what this team looks like without him. The pressure to bring him back for the season finale is enormous, but the risk of aggravating the injury further — potentially ruling him out of pre-season or even summer international duty — is just as high.
Manager Eddie Howe is understood to be “deeply conflicted.” On one hand, he needs Isak’s firepower to secure a vital result against Everton. On the other, he can’t afford to gamble with the long-term health of his most valuable asset. No final decision has been made, and club sources say discussions will continue right up until matchday.
Newcastle’s hopes of European qualification hang in the balance. And as fans hold their breath, the only certainty is that tension in the Toon has reached fever pitch.