Alexander Isak Return Confirmed Amid Newcastle Standoff

Alexander Isak has been named in Sweden’s squad for September’s international break amid his ongoing refusal to play for Newcastle United.

The 25-year-old striker last laced up for the Magpies in a Premier League defeat to Everton back in May. It has been widely reported that Isak informed Newcastle of his desire to leave the club after that game, which wasn’t the first time he had made this wish clear.

Over the subsequent three months, which have been peppered by just one formal bid of £110 million ($147.9 million) from Liverpool, Isak has skipped Newcastle’s pre-season tour and continues to train alone on Tyneside. A delegation of co-owners were thought to have held a meeting with the club’s talisman in an attempt to facilitate his eventual return earlier this week. They were met with a blunt rebuttal from all accounts.

Despite sitting out the first two weeks of the new campaign, Isak is part of Sweden’s national team squad for World Cup qualifiers against Slovenia and Kosovo next week.

Alexander Isak (left) and Bruno Guimarães. — Alexander Isak (left) and Bruno Guimarães have not played together for three months. | Stu Forster/Getty Images

Sweden manager Jon Dahl Tomasson has staunchly defended his talismanic forward, insisting that there are plenty of unseen politics bubbling beneath the surface.

Newcastle midfielder Bruno Guimarães is keen to have the club’s “best player” back available as soon as possible. “I haven't had any contact with him,” the Brazilian told ESPN after playing a starring role in late 3–2 defeat to Liverpool on Monday night. “We’ve been training in the mornings, and he trains at a different time, when no one from the team is around.

“As captain, and for us as players, it’s a tough situation because we want to have the best players with us. But that’s something we can't control—the club, the management, the owners are dealing with it, and I hope it gets sorted out in the best way.

“We’re really missing our striker, a player who scored more than 20 goals in the Premier League last season, so of course he’s someone we feel the absence of. We hope to have our best player back, but unfortunately this is a situation that neither I nor any other player can control.”