Newcastle receives heavy blow as star forward in doubt for Man City fixture

Coming on the back of a disappointing performance against Fulham, Newcastle United would face Manchester City in their upcoming Premier League fixture. Given the recent form of both these clubs, it is much evident that Pep's side enters St. James Park being the favorites, and it would take significant doing for Newcastle to gather some points from the game. Moreover, recent reports suggest a massive blow for the Magpies club, who might miss their priority forward for the matchday.

Newcastle receives heavy blow as star forward in doubt for Man City fixture

While a ray of hope had arisen in the Magpies camp, given that Manchester City would be starting the fixture without their two most prominent stars, it doesn't look going well now for the club. With superstars de Bruyne and Rodri already on the unavailable list for the fixture, Newcastle star Alexander Isak is on the verge of missing the game as well.

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe had this to update regarding Isak's availability.

""Alex is still nursing his toe injury; he will be a doubt for tomorrow. He hasn’t trained yet, so we will have to make a decision on him.""

- Eddie Howe

Not to forget, similar concerns were being raised about the star forward's availability ahead of the Fulham fixture, but he was able to complete the full 90 minutes in the game. However, it feels like now the toe injury has caught him up again, with his availability on the line against Manchester City. Not only would the Swedish international's absence affect the club's chances in the matchday, but rather push Eddie Howe to make some crucial changes in his lineup setup.

As was suggested before the Fulham fixture, Anthony Gordon would need to move to the front, changing his role yet again to compensate for Isak. With Harvey Barnes as the undisputed starter on the left wing and Gordon on the front, Howe would have to accommodate Jacob Murphy in his plans on the right flank.

Isak's unavailability would drastically impact Gordon, who has been out of form as well, apart from impacting the club as a whole. Overall, while chances look less for Isak to be game-ready for the important fixture, Newcastle fans would hope for him to be able to start against the Etihad Club.