Newcastle United issue fitness update on Alexander Isak ahead of Liverpool game

That’s the view of Eddie Howe ahead of this evening’s game against Liverpool at St James’s Park.

Isak – who missed the club’s last home game due to concussion protocols after being struck on the head by the ball, and had a long spell out with a thigh injury earlier in the season – was handed his first Premier League start since September last weekend.

And Howe was asked for an assessment of the 23-year-old’s fitness ahead of the Liverpool fixture.

“I think he’s in good physical condition,” said United’s head coach. “I think he’s improving all the time. Just before he got the concussion, it was probably his best form he’s had for us in training. He looked absolutely electric, he was scoring goals regularly. He looked in a great place.

"Then he missed a week’s training, and, understandably at this level, they’re so finely tuned that when you miss a week, there’s a slight reaction to that.”

Isak, signed for a club-record £60million fee last summer, played the full 90 minutes against Bournemouth last Saturday.

“I thought he did well last week,” said Howe. “He lasted 90 minutes, no problem. I thought he gave a good physical effort for the team.

"We probably didn’t get him the ball enough in the areas that we wanted to, but he had a few shots on goal, and I was pleased with his performance.”