6 hours ago
3
Alexander Isak might be prepared to share his perspective after declining to play for Eddie Howe this season.
Isak has agreed to his call-up from Sweden amid the ongoing uncertainty at St. James' Park, and the missing star could potentially face the press as early as next week. This comes after the Swedish FA requested him to undertake media duties ahead of the team's autumn internationals.
Whether or not Isak has made his proposed Premier League transfer from Newcastle to Liverpool, he could opt out of any press responsibilities. However, so far, he has complied with all requests from the Swedish FA to return to action and may now have the chance to discuss in detail his decision-making process over the summer.
There has been no change in the situation between Isak and Newcastle following high-level discussions between the unsettled star and the club's executives at his residence on Monday.
Head coach Eddie Howe is set to provide an update on Isak's situation at his press conference before the Leeds match. He informed journalists in Sweden that the striker's fitness has significantly declined due to a lack of preseason playtime.
Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet also characterised Alexander Isak's situation at Newcastle as a "protracted conflict."
Last week, Isak took to Instagram and posted: "Promises were made and the club has known my position for a long time."
However, Newcastle has refuted these promises, stating that he is "welcome" to resume training at any time. Isak is waiting to discover whether Liverpool will table a second offer to bring him to Anfield during the transfer window's closing stages.
If not, he's due to travel to Stockholm to meet up with Jon Dahl Tomasson and start preparing for World Cup qualifying fixtures against Slovenia and Kosovo.
Nevertheless, the situation could become more complicated for Isak upon his arrival in his homeland next week, with television crews and journalists naturally eager to intensify their focus on the striker's contentious summer. A Swedish source revealed to Chronicle Live: "Swedish FA officials have promised that Isak will do media, let's see if they keep that promise!"
Should Isak be made available to the press next week, it would at least offer the missing forward a chance to clarify his position after a brief statement failed to appease Newcastle supporters last week, though any disclosures about his reasons for wanting to leave the Magpies would create compelling viewing for media organisations worldwide.
Tomasson, predictably, appeared to back Isak, recognizing he requires the striker to be match-ready for two vital World Cup encounters. The former Blackburn Rovers manager said: "Nobody knows the big picture."
He continued: "Alex is a very professional player, a strong character and he has worked hard. He is a game changer. I have spoken to him several times, mentally he is strong. What we have said stays between us of course. Can he play 90 minutes? Of course not.
"I am very happy that Alexander Isak wants to be in the squad, he is a huge player."
Newcastle has remained silent following club officials' visit to Isak's residence last week.
English (US) ·