Former Newcastle United player John Anderson has urged Eddie Howe to start Alexander Isak in their Carabao Cup second-leg clash with Southampton.
The Lowdown: An important assist
Isak has only featured eight times in all competitions for Newcastle due to injury and has delivered four goal contributions in all competitions.
The assist he got against fellow Premier League side Southampton in the League Cup was arguably his most important to date, as the Swede dribbled down the line and played the ball across where it was tapped in by Joelinton.
It means that the Magpies go into the second leg of the semi-final with a 1-0 advantage.
The Latest: Start Isak
Anderson has urged Howe to start Isak in the return fixture against the Saints as he believes he'll offer something different when speaking to the Total Sport Newcastle United Podcast.
He stated (12:35), "I've said since he played the first half in the in the FA Cup tie at Sheffield Wednesday and I thought he was he was bright. This movement was good, he looks sharp. Should have scored, but you can put that down to a little bit of rustiness.
"Even the games he's come on and he's looked bright, He's looked lively his movements been good. So he obviously wants to play, he wants to play from the start.
"There's no doubt about that, as I say did great for the goal the other night. Will Eddie Howe be tempted? He's very loyal Eddie Howe, but you just think that maybe it needs a little bit of a freshen up a little bit of something different."
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The Verdict: Isak's earnt a start
We believe that Isak has earned the right to start up front for Newcastle and Howe should play him from minute one in their cup clash with the Saints.
Magpies legend and hero Alan Shearer raved about the Swede when he first joined the club, labelling him as 'superb' in a piece for The Athletic.
He's certainly made an impact since arriving on Tyneside and hasn't been slowed down much by his injury.
Dropping Callum Wilson won't be a simple decision for Howe, as
he's a player that the Toon boss rates very highly and has relied on him heavily when in charge of Newcastle and Bournemouth.
However, Wilson's tally has dried up recently and we believe is due a rest. There's a £63 million forward weighting in the wings and with his recent form and a hefty price tag to his reputation he's worthy of a start in the second leg of the semi-final.