Newcastle United set for 17-goal striker boost as uncertainty looms over £20m star

After a month on the sidelines, Newcastle United are getting ready to unleash Alexander Isak once again.

A recurrence of a groin injury has kept the 24-year-old out of Newcastle's last five matches in all competitions. The side head into Saturday's game against Chelsea (3pm kick-off) having failed to score in their last two.

Despite this, only five Premier League players have scored more goals than the Isak so far this season. Before his injury, the Swede was one of the most deadly strikers in the Premier League - only Erling Haaland had scored more goals.

Yet Isak still boasted a better goal-to-minute ratio and conversion rate than the Man City behemoth. A month on, only his conversion rate remains superior.

Isak's £63million club record move to Newcastle from Real Sociedad put a lot of pressure on the young striker's shoulder to deliver. It was a fee even Eddie Howe himself felt was too high at the time. It has since started to look like somewhat of a bargain despite the player missing a number of matches.

Isak has started just 28 out of a possible 63 games since joining The Magpies last summer, yet he is still viewed as a great piece of business by the club and one of the better foreign imports into the Premier League in recent seasons, such is his quality when on the pitch.

Comparisons with the legendary Thierry Henry are not too far wide of the mark. His 'assist' at Everton is up there with one of the most technically gifted moments of class we've seen from a United player in years.

And with Newcastle's only other senior striker Callum Wilson facing a spell on the sidelines with a hamstring injury, Isak's return couldn't come soon enough.

Howe initially kept his cards very close to his chest when asked about the striker ahead of the Chelsea match.

"I don't want to give too much away," the Newcastle boss said with a smirk when asked if Isak would start.

While Howe is often coy with injuries to his players, the message regarding Isak has always been reasonably consistent that he would be back after the November international break.

And he then let slip that he backs Isak to be his side's main striker in Wilson's absence.

"Alex is a very focused individual," said The Magpies head coach. "He's very calm. He rarely shows too many outward expressions of happiness, anger or disappointment.

"He's very consistent but he's fiercely determined to do well. He's not fazed when he does well or hasn't performed to his best level. But I see a real camaraderie between him and Callum so I think Alex will miss Callum, but we certainly back him as our striker for now."

The majority of Isak's time at Newcastle has seen him locked in a battle with a more traditional goalscorer in Wilson for the starting striker's spot in Howe's 4-3-3 set-up. It's been a competition that has brought out the best in both, with the pair responsible for 41 of Newcastle's goals (Isak 17, Wilson 25) since the start of last season.

"They've both pushed each other and there is a very healthy respect," Howe admitted. "They both look at each other and say, 'he's a top player'. That can only inspire the other one, to know they have to perform well or the other will take the shirt.

"I don't think there's anything Alex can do that Callum can't. They're different players but they've both got core characteristics that we look for - they're both quick, they both work hard in and out of possession, they both score goals and they're both usually in the right areas.

"Alex naturally wants to come slightly deeper and rotate positions more rather than being a fixed nine, and that movement gives us different options when he plays. But they're both outstanding number 9s and we need them both back fit."  With uncertainty over Wilson's injury and when he will be back playing, there will be pressure on a returning Isak to deliver amid a hectic fixture schedule. He has played 90 minutes just nine times in the Premier League for Newcastle with Howe stating last season the forward would have to build up his fitness levels in order to meet the demands of playing in his side.

Newcastle play 11 games between now and January 1. In that time, Howe will have to be very mindful of the demands put on his players amid an injury crisis.

The Magpies boss will point to Anthony Gordon or Joelinton as backup striker options. While either player could paper over the cracks in Newcastle's squad for a game or two, the side loses a lot when those players move out of their favoured positions. It's simply not an appropriate solution.

While the decision to sell Chris Wood to Nottingham Forest for £15million in the summer was a smart transfer move by the club, failing to replace him was not. It leaves the club with two very capable but injury-prone strikers without any natural backup.

Because of this, Newcastle are left having to effectively 'wrap Isak in cotton wool' heading into some crucial matches.

“Wrap him in cotton wool is a difficult one with a footballer," Howe admitted. "But I know what you mean and I think we have to be sensible with what we ask him to do.

“He's obviously going to be hugely important for us. He's a huge player for us, he's got that ability to win us games, but we want him on the pitch as much as we can and to do that, we're going to have to be careful."