Official Newcastle United update on Alexander Isak injury situation | OneFootball

Alexander Isak not involved at Anfield on Wednesday night.

The news delivered at 7pm, when the starting eleven and subs were announced.

The club announcing pre-match that it was a ‘slight groin problem’ that had led to Alexander Isak missing from the matchday squad.

The match a bit of a tame 2-0 win for Liverpool, with only three shots on target all night, none of them from Newcastle United.

A massive moment not long after Liverpool had taken the lead, Callum Wilson played through one on one with Alisson but unable to hit the target. The talk amongst media and fans was unsurprisingly, what if that had been Alexander Isak through on goal?

Wilson normally an excellent finisher when chances come along and possibly still taking time to get into his stride after such a long absence. However, no doubt that Alexander Isak was a big miss last night, especially as he has shown a number of times previously, just what a tough time he can give Virgil van Dijk and his teammates.

With the rematch in the Carabao Cup final only 18 days later, naturally fans hoping for better news post-match on exactly what the injury situation was with the star striker.

Eddie Howe giving the official Newcastle United injury and upcoming availability update on Alexander Isak, as well as a couple of other players:

“It goes without saying how important Alexander [Isak] is to us.

“I thought that you could see that tonight.

“It was a late decision [to leave him out], around midday today.

“He just didn’t feel right with his groin, so we didn’t want to take the risk, we have got too many big games to come.

“I had a chat with him around [Wednesday] lunchtime to see how he felt.

“We knew that he was feeling something yesterday [Tuesday].

“We hoped that it would improve overnight but it didn’t improve enough.

“We don’t envisage it being a big problem for him [moving forward].”

Ahead of the Liverpool match, Eddie Howe had stated that both Joelinton and Sven Botman were ‘very close’ to making their playing return but they also were missing from the 20 man Newcastle United matchday squad at Anfield.

Eddie Howe asked about the situation on both Botman and Joelinton with Brighton at home in the FA Cup on Sunday up next:

“I think they will be there or thereabouts for Sunday [when we play Brighton]

“That would be a massive boost.

“It is difficult to say, because they haven’t trained with the team yet, but fingers crossed.”

I don’t think you can take Wednesday night’s match in isolation.

Alexander Isak has played a lot of football recently, starting almost every match, only three days before Anfield that tough Forest match. So Eddie Howe looking after him last night was never going to be a shock, especially if any worry at all, no matter how small.

Maybe Alexander Isak might play some part on Sunday, but I think the smart money is on him getting at least a 15 day rest from playing, with the Premier League game at West Ham on Monday 10 March coming two weeks and a day after the Forest match, plus six days before our visit to Wembley…

Obviously not a case of throwing Wednesday night’s match but if say that had been the Carabao Cup final, who knows what would have been the case with Isak, as well as Botman and Joelinton, in terms of whether they could/would have made the team/squad?

Liverpool away, the toughest match of the whole season on paper, not just of those games that NUFC had remaining.

I think for sure Eddie Howe will be quite rightly targeting West Ham away and beyond, the Premier League final 11 game run-in, plus of course the cup final, doing everything he can to have all his big players fit for those final couple of months of the season. Alexander Isak key to that run-in, whilst Botman and Joelinton will come into the team as well in my opinion for sure, if they can get back to 100 percent.

That run-in will of course hopefully also include a couple more visits to Wembley in the FA Cup.

However, Sunday has to be navigated firstly. Brighton at home is a tough last 16 tie but Newcastle will fingers crossed be able to get past them and everything crossed, get a kind home tie in the quarters.

My assumption is that Alexander Isak won’t be risked and will be aimed at West Ham and beyond, whilst very likely we could see both Joelinton and Botman play some part against Brighton. Potentially from the bench and aimed at competing for a starting place against West Ham, ahead of Liverpool at Wembley.

Liverpool 2 Newcastle 0 – Wednesday 26 February 2025 8.15pm

Goals:

Newcastle United:

Liverpool:

Szoboszlai 11, Mac Allister 63

Possession was Newcastle 39% Liverpool 61%

Total shots were Newcastle 3 Liverpool 12

Shots on target were Newcastle 0 Liverpool 3

Corners were Newcastle 2 Liverpool 4

Touches in the box Newcastle 16 Liverpool 29

Newcastle team v Liverpool:

Pope, Livramento (Trippier 69), Schar, Burn, Hall, Bruno (Longstaff 88), Tonali (Miley 69), Willock (Barnes 68), Gordon, Wilson (Osula 69), Murphy

Subs:

Dubravka, Ruddy, Krafth, Targett

(Match Report – Nothing to get upset about – Liverpool 2 Newcastle 0 – Read HERE)

(Liverpool 2 Newcastle 0 – Instant Newcastle United fan/writer reaction – Read HERE)

Saturday 16 March – Newcastle v Liverpool (4.30pm) Carabao Cup final – Sky Sports