Newcastle striker crisis deepens after Eddie Howe played Alexander Isak with broken toe

Eddie Howe has problems up beforehand arsenic Alexander Isak and Callum Wilson retired and Anthony Gordon needing a remainder arsenic League Two Wimbledon sojourn St James' Park and a summertime signing acceptable for his archetypal start

Alexander Isak is retired injured for different 3 weeks - arsenic Eddie Howe defended his determination to play him with a breached toe.

The Swedish striker is retired of the Carabao Cup necktie against Wimbledon connected Tuesday nighttime and astir surely the travel to Everton astatine the weekend, followed by planetary duty. Isak lasted 80 minutes astatine Fulham but could not basal the symptom successful his foot, and has not trained for 2 weeks arsenic United anticipation the bony heals.

William Osula is successful enactment to marque his archetypal commencement against the League Two outfit astatine St James’ Park, aft his £10m determination from Sheffield United successful the summer. Callum Wilson, retired each play truthful far, volition beryllium successful contention to play aft successful the location crippled against Brighton, portion Anthony Gordon could beryllium rested.

Howe explained: “It was 1 of those situations where, if Alex could tolerate the pain, helium would beryllium fine. He tolerated the symptom for astir 80 minutes (at Fulham) earlier helium became alert of immoderate feeling backmost successful that toe. It was either he’d beryllium retired until astir apt aft the planetary interruption initially, oregon helium could transportation connected playing arsenic mean if helium could tolerate the feelings and the effects of the injury. He hasn’t been capable to bash that, truthful we’re backmost to the archetypal diagnosis, I think.

“We're benignant of assessing him connected a regular ground due to the fact that determination is simply a accidental helium could beryllium acceptable for Everton if everything falls into place. Of course, past we person a determination to make. Does helium play successful that crippled oregon bash we permission him knowing that he'll beryllium OK 2 weeks afterwards?”

Osula, 21, has been going “through a process” with United coaches to crook him into a Premier League acceptable player, and Howe insists helium has potential. Anthony Gordon is regarded arsenic the Toon's 3rd prime pb striker.

Howe said: “With Will, we were good alert that we’d person to spell to enactment arsenic coaches and Will would person to spell to enactment arsenic the subordinate to make himself, to amended each country of his crippled to go a Premier League striker.

“We consciousness helium has the attributes to bash that. He’s very, precise quick, physically excellent. He’s a tall, imposing quality and his champion plus is moving successful down and stretching the enactment for us. He has immoderate things to smoothen retired successful his game. We’ve seen already, surely from the battles he’s had against our centre-halves successful training, helium has an quality to people goals and person a carnal interaction successful the game, to marque it uncomfortable for defenders.

“We are moving hard with him and he’s moving hard. His cognition has been excellent. He comes successful with a large grin connected his look each day. His vocation and his crippled is going successful the close direction.”

Newcastle volition usage Anthony Gordon arsenic the pb striker until Isak is acceptable again, oregon Wilson returns. Howe revealed: "Calum Wilson's connected way to beryllium acceptable for aft the planetary break, on with, hopefully, Lewis Miley Of course, Sven (Botman) and Jamaal (Lascelles) are a small spot further back. Hopefully immoderate bully quality connected the horizon, but until they're backmost fully, it's hard to committedness that."

Miguel Almiron is besides acceptable to start, arsenic Howe gives the Paraguayan immoderate crippled time.