Newcastle United return to action in the Premier League this evening as they welcome West Ham United to St James’ Park in the late kick-off.
The Magpies head into this clash off the back of a double-header against Southampton in the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup.
Eddie Howe’s side prevailed 3-1 on aggregate, winning both legs of the tie to secure a place in the final of the competition later this month against Manchester United at Wembley.
For now, the focus is on the club’s action in the Premier League as they continue to battle for a place in the top four to land a spot in the Champions League for the 2023/24 campaign.
Newcastle host the Hammers this evening and will be hoping to maintain, or even increase, the three-point buffer between themselves and Tottenham in fifth by beating David Moyes’ side.
One player who could find himself out of the XI for this match is centre-forward Callum Wilson, who has struggled since returning from international duty for the World Cup.
These statistics (as per Sofascore) are a far cry from the six goals and two assists that he managed in 11 games in the first half of the Premier League season and suggest that he is wildly out of form at the moment.
Therefore, it could be time for Howe to finally unleash Sweden international Alexander Isak – who has not started a league game since September following a hamstring injury – from the start to give Wilson a rest, and potentially a kick to revive his recent woes.
There is some doubt over the former Real Sociedad gem’s availability after suffering a head injury last time out, but he has not been completely ruled out of contention, and Howe must throw him in from the start if the Swedish forward is fit enough to feature.
Isak, who was once described as a “unicorn” by radio presenter Kev Lawson and dubbed “fearless” by editor Aaron Stokes, has the potential to be a game-changer for the Magpies.
In the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final against the Saints, the forward came off the bench and provided a match-winning contribution as he burst down the right-hand channel and played a perfect ball across the box for Joelinton to tap into an empty net.
The £120k-per-week gem has also scored three goals in as many Premier League starts, playing five times in the division in total, which shows that the striker has the quality to make a big impact in the final third, changing games by making big contributions with goals or assists.
Isak has showcased his ability in front of goal during his limited game-time since arriving at St James’ Park, and Wilson’s poor form of late should tempt Howe into unleashing the young centre-forward from the start this evening.
