Newcastle United star striker Alexander Isaac received a rigorous reminder from coach Eddie Howe about his duties to the club. In speculation about the transfer, Howe expanded full support for Isaac in his role in Newcastle, but emphasized that re-entry to the team is not guaranteed.
After missing out on a pre-season tour in Korea, Isaac is therefore lacking important match fitness and training, but has not reached out to Hau. After a £110 million bid from Liverpool on Friday night, Howe confirmed that no follow-up offers had been made.
The Swedish forward is expected to return to Newcastle for training to prepare his upcoming best friend with Espanyol and Atletico Madrid at St. James Park on the Cera Cup weekend. When asked about his communication with Isaac since Liverpool’s bid, Hau simply said “no.”
Hau also revealed the coaching staff’s stance on Isaac’s return to training, especially amid the uncertainty of the transition to Liverpool. He said:
On the topic of further contact from Liverpool, Hau’s response was clear: “Not as much as I know.”
And given Hau’s pivotal role as head of the transfer committee, he is well aware that, coupled with the solitary training of strikers in Spain, he has never trained a training after missing a trip to the Far East.
When asked about the potential impact of Isaac skipping training at Benton when the team returns to Newcastle, Howe openly acknowledged the gravity of the situation.
Hau said: “There is another way to look at this, you need to get the right to train with us.
“Players are responsible for being part of the team and their team – you need to act the right way, so you’re playing here too. Make sure the players do it to get the right to train with the group.
When researched about Isaac’s training schedule at his press conference following Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Tottenham Hotspur, Howe said:
