Five days out from that game, Newcastle United have received a big fitness boost following pictures of Joe Willock in training with the squad. Willock hasn’t been seen in action since limping off during the final stages of their pre-season defeat against Team K-League in South Korea.

Pundit Don Hutchison has now taken to social media to suggest another striker Liverpool can move to sign – Julian Alvarez. The former Liverpool midfielder believes that Atletico Madrid star Alvarez is the man Liverpool really need, rather than Isak.

Newcastle deny giving Alexander Isak a commitment he could leave this summer as the striker pushes for a move to Liverpool and say they 'do not foresee' the player being sold as the conditions required for them to sanction a sale are unlikely to transpire ...

Liverpool have emerged as Isak’s priority for the new campaign and the 25-year-old – the Magpies’ top scorer with 27 goals last term – has been training alone after opting out of Newcastle’s pre-season tour of Asia.