Newcastle’s players and staff are due to fly to Singapore tomorrow for the first leg of their Asian tour, which will also see them head to South Korea next week.
The Magpies will take part in a series of commercial and fan events in Singapore as well as playing a friendly against Arsenal on Sunday.
Despite Isak being absent from Parkhead as Newcastle lost their opening pre-season game against Celtic last weekend, Eddie Howe insisted that the Swedish striker would be heading to Asia with his team-mates.
That stance has not changed despite the ongoing speculation linking the 25-year-old with a potential summer move to Liverpool.
READ MORE:
The reigning Premier League champions continue to be heavily linked with Isak despite the impending arrival of Hugo Ekitike, who was the subject of a failed bid from Newcastle earlier in the summer. There have also been suggestions this week that Isak’s representatives will demand £300,000-a-week if the Magpies hierarchy look to restart talks over a new contract on Tyneside.
Amid all the uncertainty, Isak has not been training with Newcastle’s main first-team group in the last few days. However, that is understood to be because the Magpies’ medical staff are managing the striker’s ongoing thigh issue, not because of any concerns over Isak’s future.
Howe admitted Isak was ‘not fit enough’ to feature in last weekend’s loss at Celtic, although he also conceded the Swede’s absence from Parkhead was an attempt to prevent him from being the subject of unwanted speculation if he was pictured sitting in the stands.
It remains to be seen whether Isak is involved in Sunday’s game with Arsenal, or next week’s South Korean double-header against a K-League All Stars XI and Tottenham, but the intention remains for him to travel to Asia in order to step up his pre-season preparations.
“Yeah, absolutely,” said Howe at the weekend, when asked whether Isak would be heading to Singapore. “He’s part of our squad. At this moment in time, I expect him to come. We love him as a player and a person and want him to stay – and that is right through the club. He’s an outstanding talent and a player we cherish.”