Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe has said that striker Alexander Isak must “earn the right” to train with his squad.
The Magpies rejected a £110m bid from Liverpool for Isak last Friday as the Sweden international trained alone at former club Real Sociedad amid uncertainty about his future.
The 25-year-old, who was reported as wanting to explore a move away from Tyneside by BBC Sport in July, was left out of the club’s pre-season tour of Asia with what the club called a “minor thigh injury”.
Sources have told BBC Sport Isak returned to the Magpies’ training ground on Monday but Howe, speaking to the Newcastle Chronicle,, external said he had not spoken to the forward since Liverpool lodged a bid.
“He’s like any other player, we would expect him to come in and train as normal,” said Howe.
The Newcastle boss, speaking before he travelled back home with his squad from South Korea, added that Liverpool, as far as he was aware, had not been back in touch since making their offer.
“You have to earn the right to train with us,” Howe told the Daily Mail., external
“We are Newcastle United. The player has a responsibility here to be part of a team and part of a squad – you have to act in the right way. So that is also at play here.
“We will make sure that any player does that to earn the right to train with the group. No player can expect to act poorly and train with the group as normal.”
Isak, who joined Newcastle in a £60m move from La Liga side Real Sociedad in 2022, scored 27 goals in 42 appearances for the club last season.
He helped them qualify for the Champions League courtesy of a fifth place finish in the Premier League and also scored when Howe’s side beat Liverpool in the EFL Cup final.
Newcastle finished off their tour of the Far East with a 1-1 draw against Tottenham in Seoul.
After the game, asked if Isak was scheduled to train, Howe said: “Of course I’d like him to but whether or not he will, I don’t know at this moment in time.
“Other people have been dealing with that situation back at home.”
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