Eddie Howe says that Alexander Isak will not feature in Thursday's night exhibition game in Riyadh against Al-Hilal.
The Sweden striker has not suffered any type of setback and has been training both in the gym and on the grass after making his return from a thigh problem picked up on international duty. But sadly the big match in Saudi Arabia this week will come too early for the centre-forward.
Signed for £63million from Real Sociedad in the summer, Isak has two goals to his name already in a black and white shirt. But Howe will not take any risks as he looks to prepare him for the League Cup clash against AFC Bournemouth - a game the Newcastle boss sees as crucial to restarting the season in the right manner.
READ MORE: Newcastle United meet Yasir Al-Rumayyan in Riyadh ahead of day two of warm weather training camp
When asked if Isak would feature, Howe told reporters in Riyadh: "No, it's a bit too early but he's doing well. This was the plan. We didn't expect him to train with the group when we first started training so he's with the sports scientist team and physios."
Howe is eager to ensure Isak is ready for competitive action meaning the friendly against Rayo Vallecano may also come too soon. The United manager said: "I don't expect him to feature in those games. We'll try and get him for Bournemouth or Leicester but we'll have to see how it goes.
"We are building him up in a controlled way and we expect him to be very close for Bournemouth or Leicester, we're not sure if he'll be fit or available for those games yet."
And when asked if there had been any type of setback on the former La Liga goal-getter, Howe insisted: "No, there's no setback. There was an initial setback when he re-injured his thigh and as a consequence of that we just want to make sure we get him fully fit."
Howe even does not mind playing up the idea that Isak will be like a new signing when he eventually gets back on the field. He said: "Very much so. He's a player we've really liked and missed and he'll give us lots of qualities we feel the team needs. We're really excited to try and get him back."
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