NEWCASTLE CONFIDENTIAL: Alexander Isak suffers contemporary harm

Alexander Isak has suffered a toe injury and is a doubt for Saturday’s trip to Fulham, Newcastle Confidential can exclusively reveal.

The fresh issue has left the Magpies sweating on the fitness of their star striker, especially given Callum Wilson is set to remain sidelined until next month with a back injury.

Isak was forced off at half-time during Sunday’s 2-1 win at Wolves with an eye complaint. The Swede had taken a ball to the head in the first half and we understand there was swelling around his eye. 

That problem has since eased and would not have kept him out of this weekend’s game at Craven Cottage.

However, Isak’s toe injury could yet see Eddie Howe forced to reshuffle his forward line, as he did in the second half at Molineux. 

Anthony Gordon would likely start at centre-forward with Sunday’s match-winner Harvey Barnes restored to the side on the left-wing. 

William Osula, the 21-year-old forward signed from Sheffield United for £10million this summer, has not been used by Howe this season.

Newcastle will make a late call on Isak, but there is hope that the toe injury will be manageable and allow him to lead the line as Howe’s side look to extend their unbeaten start.

However, the scare does highlight Newcastle’s need for a better and more reliable back-up option. It was interesting to see Isak dovetailing so well with Sweden strike partner Viktor Gyökeres during the recent international break. 

Confidential can reveal that Newcastle scouts watched him extensively during his final season with Coventry before he joined Sporting Lisbon in the summer of 2023.

That fee of £20.5m looks cheap now, given Gyökeres is being linked with an £80m move back to the Premier League.

‘HAALAND’ TO TOON? 

One solution for Newcastle in the forward department could well be found in the form of the Norwegian teenager dubbed ‘the next Erling Haaland’.

Confidential can confirm that the Magpies are tracking Sindre Walle Egeli, the 18-year-old who made his international debut earlier this month.

However, we understand it would take a fee well in excess of the £6m they paid to sign Yankuba Minteh from the Danish Superliga in July, 2023.

Egeli joined FC Nordsjaelland from Norwegian club Sandefjord 14 months ago, and sources say they would demand a fee in the region of the club-record £21m they received for winger Ernest Nuamah.

Given the excitement around Egeli in his home country, there would be stiff competition for his signature. But sources in Norway say his talent is undeniable and the likeness to Haaland is fair. 

They are both left-footed, physically imposing and score goals. Egeli is said to be more versatile and can play across the forward line.

In fact, his goals record at youth level for Norway (32 in 35 games) is better than Haaland’s (30 in 46 games), even though he played predominantly from the right.

CAR REVS UP FOR RETURN? 

An interesting snippet from north of the border that could have an impact on Newcastle down the line, is that we understand John Carver would be interested in the managerial vacancy at St Johnstone.

The former Magpies boss is currently No 2 to Steve Clarke with the Scotland national team but is open to a return to the hotseat himself. It could be that he is able to combine the roles, especially if landing a job in the Scottish Premiership.

Carver has a good relationship with Newcastle’s loan managers Shola Ameobi and Peter Ramage, having signed and coached the pair during his time as academy boss.

Were Carver to return to management, it is likely that loan deals from within St James’ Park would be explored.

PSR ALLY FOUND 

I think it is worth recording the comments of Leeds United chief Angus Kinnear this week.

He was speaking about Profit and Sustainability Rules, of how they are broken and in need of reform. It chimes with everything I’ve heard from inside St James’ Park in recent years during off-the-record conversations. 

Indeed, Kinnear’s words were flagged to me by a source close to Newcastle.

‘It (PSR) is fundamentally broken,’ he told the Square Ball podcast. ‘British football has lost track of what PSR is even trying to achieve. 

‘There are some clubs that say it’s a sustainability issue which, candidly, I don’t think exists. I think we have one of the most sustainable industries in the world.

‘We’ve got the same 100 protagonists playing at the top level of English football as we did 100 years ago, bar one or two exceptions. 

‘But there is this obsession with sustainability, where I think that good owners who are prepared to invest – and can show that they’ve got funds and can commit funds for the long-term – should not be prevented from investing in their clubs.

‘I think Leeds United, along with Newcastle and Aston Villa, are the only three clubs in England that can legitimately challenge the top six. The top six don’t want that challenge, so they want to support PSR rules. 

‘That is the biggest issue with PSR. It’s cementing the status quo and meaning that ambitious clubs, which have huge potential, are going to find it increasingly hard to compete at the highest level.’

TOON TEASER

It’s Toon Teaser time. Last week’s puzzler was… can you name can you name the SEVEN players to have played for Newcastle and Wolves since 1992. Bonus point for the ONE current Newcastle player who played for Wolves but is yet to appear for the Magpies. 

The answers were; David Kelly, Temuri Ketsbaia, Darren Peacock, Mike Williamson, Carl Cort, Marlon Harewood, Sebastien Bassong and, for the bonus point, John Ruddy…

This week’s puzzler (and this theme is proving popular)… Can you name the EIGHTEEN players to have played for Newcastle and Fulham since 1992?