Ben Dinnery

Fri 21 October 2022 18:57, UK

Callum Wilson and Allan Saint-Maximin’s injury issues are partly to blame for Alexander Isak’s latest setback at Newcastle United.

That is the view of medical expert Ben Dinnery, who runs the Premier Injuries site and has a background in injury and data analysis.

Isak was thrown straight into the Newcastle starting XI after he signed from Real Sociedad in the summer due to injuries to Wilson and Saint-Maximin.

The 23-year-old scored twice in three Premier League games before he suffered a thigh injury on Sweden duty in September.

As quoted by BBC Sport earlier this week (18 October), Eddie Howe revealed he had suffered a setback in training and will likely not feature before the World Cup.

“The initial injury was picked up while he was with the national team and wasn’t thought to be too serious,” Dinnery told Football Insider‘s Connor Whitley.

“The initial timeline was thought to be two to three weeks. He was progressing really well and on track to return on time.

“Questions always get asked about how a player can get injured in training. The reality is that you need to be training somewhere near the level you will be playing at to see how the body copes and whether it can stand up to the pressure of a game.

“Isak, unfortunately, arrived at the club when Callum Wilson was sidelined and Allan Saint-Maximin was injured. He was thrust into that Premier League environment with very little time to adapt.

“It’s a very unique beast in terms of the demands that are placed upon players. The ideal scenario is one where you gradually integrate the players and increase that load over time. Isak wasn’t afforded that.

“Unfortunately, he suffered that setback and the new one on the training pitch is a blow and a worry.

“It doesn’t matter about the advances of technology and expertise you have in place, sometimes these things happen and we don’t know why.”

In other news, Newcastle United have been tipped to spend “£100million” in January after an “incredible” development.