Howe accepted it had been a tough week after Lewis Hall was ruled out of the rest of the season and Anthony Gordon was banned for three matches, including the Carabao Cup final

The striker has been struggling with injury issues in recent weeks and with Lewis Hall, Sven Botman and Anthony Gordon ruled out of the Carabao Cup final, Isak's involvement will be key.

Newcastle’s preparation for the Carabao Cup final has been disastrous so far, with Sven Botman set to undergo knee surgery and fellow defender Lewis Hall having already been ruled out for the remainder of the season with a foot injury sustained against Liverpool last month that also needs an operation.