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Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak has missed his team's last two games, but will he return against Everton on Saturday evening?
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Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak has been sidelined with a toe injury for the Magpies last two matches. The Sweden international missed out as his team held Manchester City to a 1-1 draw and then progressed to the fourth round of the Carabao Cup by defeating League One AFC Wimbledon this week, Next up for Newcastle is a Saturday tea-time trip to Goodison Park to face Everton - but will their £63million forward make it? Alexander Isak has been suffering with a broken toe and boss Eddie Howe gave an update on the injury during his pre-Wimbledon press conference on Monday, when he ruled him out of the midweek clash. "It was one of those situations where, if Alex could tolerate the pain, he would be fine, " Howe said. "He tolerated the pain for about 80 minutes (at Fulham) before he became aware of any feeling back in that toe. It was either he’d be out until probably after the international break initially, or he could carry on playing as normal if he could tolerate the feelings and the effects of the injury. He hasn’t been able to do that, so we’re back to the original diagnosis, I think. "We're sort of assessing him on a daily basis because there is a chance he could be fit for Everton if everything falls into place. Of course, then we have a decision to make. Does he play in that game or do we leave him knowing that he'll be OK two weeks afterwards? " The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week. Howe will face the media again to preview the Everton clash on Friday morning, but all signs point to Isak not being involved, not least because he has not been included in the Sweden squad for the upcoming international break. The Magpies head to Goodison with a host of injury issues. Defenders Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles are recovering from long-term knee injuries, while Callum Wilson has been sidelined with a back issue all season. VIDEO: Why Man United Got DESTROYED By Tottenham Lewis Miley, Garang Kuol and Matt Target have also been out of late, with the club hoping their can use the international break to nurse their injured players back to full fitness. Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1 *Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription Join now for unlimited access Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1 For more than a decade Joe Mewis has worked in football journalism as a reporter and editor, with stints at Mirror Football and Leeds Live among others. He is the author of four football history books that include times on Leeds United and the England national team. Arsenal given green light to step up chase for in-demand forward: report Skechers Razor Elite review: Combining lightweight with comfort has never felt so good Liverpool star singled out for criticism by Italian press following Bologna victory Four Four Two is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site. ©
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