Alexander Isak injury update as Newcastle United striker gets positive news on comeback

The Newcastle United striker, signed from Real Sociedad for a club-record £60million fee in the summer, has been sidelined since September, when he suffered a thigh injury training with Sweden.

And Howe hopes that the 22-year-old – who scored two goals from his first three games – will be available for the December friendlies against Al-Hilal and Rayo Vallecano the club has scheduled for the World Cup break.

“I’m sure whether he’ll train with us initially,” said United’s head coach. “I think he had a scan the other day on his injury, and it looks good. It looks like it’s healed.

"Now the process starts of building him up, making sure that he’s robust enough to come through training. I’m not sure he’ll join in with us initially, but we hope, by the time the games start, he’s available for selection.”

Meanwhile, Howe will give those players not on international duty a fortnight off during the Premier League’s World Cup break.

The squad will then be put through a “mini” pre-season ahead of the restart.

"The players’ schedule is that they’ll be given some downtime, roughly around a couple of weeks,” said Howe. “So they’ll be away, and it’ll be their choice what they do. And they’ll come back and start a mini pre-season, four weeks.

"I’ll be working, resting, a mixture of things, and obviously planning what we’re going to do when we come back.”