Bruno Guimaraes shares Newcastle dressing room verdict on Alexander Isak after Liverpool loss

Newcastle United captain Bruno Guimaraes has revealed he has not spoken to Alexander Isak amid the ongoing speculation and uncertainty surrounding his future, and admitted it has been a "tough situation" for the squad to deal with.

Isak has essentially gone on strike in an attempt to force through a move to Liverpool and is currently training away from his current Newcastle teammates. He was not involved when the Reds traveled to St. James’ Park on Monday, in a game decided by Rio Ngumoha’s late, record-breaking goal.

Guimaraes got the first of Newcastle’s two goals in the 3-2 defeat and was excellent in the middle of the park for the hosts. As a squad leader and a close friend of Isak’s, the midfielder will feel the burden of his exile more than most.

It was less than six months ago that the pair laughed and joked through a joint press conference ahead of the Carabao Cup final. Now, they haven’t seen each other in weeks.

"I haven't had any contact with him," Guimarares told ESPN Brazil after the Liverpool defeat. "We've been training in the mornings, and he trains at a different time, when no one from the team is around.

"As captain, and for us as players, it's a tough situation because we want to have the best players with us.

"But that's something we can't control. The club, the management, the owners are dealing with it, and I hope it gets sorted out in the best way."

"We're really missing our striker, a player who scored more than 20 goals in the Premier League last season, so of course he's someone we feel the absence of," he added.

"We hope to have our best player back, but unfortunately, this is a situation that neither I nor any other player can control."

Reports on Monday claimed Newcastle executives met with Isak before the Liverpool game to try and smooth the situation over, although Eddie Howe later claimed he was unaware of this.

"I’ve not been party to talks on this for a long time now," he revealed after the match. "I’ve been preparing the team and giving all my energy to the players that want to play for Newcastle.

"I think that is where my energy is best put at the moment.

"We want clarity, we want to move forward, we want the narrative to change because we’re in the start of the season now."

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