— (Reuters) Alexander Isak, Newcastle United’s record acquisition, is improving his fitness after suffering a thigh injury, but the Swedish striker’s match against Manchester United on Sunday is too soon, according to manager Eddie Howe.
Isak, who joined Newcastle in August for a reported fee of 59 million pounds ($66. 48 million), has not played since scoring his second goal for them in a 1-1 draw with Bournemouth last month as he sustained the injury on international duty.
But after missing Newcastle’s triumphs against Fulham and Brentford, which propelled the team to sixth place with 14 points from nine games, the 23-year-old has since returned to training.
“Isak is improving, but he can’t play in this game. We’ve not picked up any new injuries,” Howe told a news conference.
Jonjo Shelvey, a midfielder, is nearing recovery from a hamstring injury, according to Howe, while winger Matt Ritchie is dealing with a calf injury and won’t be travelling to Old Trafford.
Howe heaped praise on Brazilian midfielder Bruno Guimaraes, who has impressed following his arrival from Olympique Lyonnais and scored two goals in their 5-1 hammering of Brentford.
The 24-year-old has been mentioned in the media as a potential Real Madrid transfer, but Howe insisted that Newcastle “desperately wants” him to stay.
“We want to assemble a group. We want to add quality, not disrupt the group we have, because we’re just getting started with that,” Howe added.
“He’s blended in so well and embodied the teamwork and motivation we need to succeed. Because of that, his admirers have embraced him from the beginning.
Off the field, he has excelled. On the pitch he speaks for himself. “.
Isak is still not ready to travel to Manchester United with Newcastle.
About Author
