‘No sense’ – Liverpool legend slams what he is hearing after Celtic and Newcastle’s pre-season clash

Add as preferred source on Google

Celtic love a win against English opponents in pre-season.

Over the weekend, Newcastle United were the latest side to suffer at the hands of Brendan Rodgers’ side in Glasgow.

The Hoops put four goals past Newcastle, who were well off it, but that was understandable because they are only two games into pre-season.

But what Eddie Howe’s side weren’t helped by was the absence of their star striker Alexander Isak, which not only took Newcastle fans by surprise, but it meant Celtic didn’t have to deal with one of Europe’s best goalscorers.

• READ MORE: Sussex Cricket’s official social media post mocks Newcastle for odd reaction to Celtic defeat

Steve Nicol on Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak not playing against Celtic

In truth, if you are Celtic, you would have preferred Isak to play because it would have prepared the team even better for the new season ahead.

But Steve Nicol wasn’t having the noise coming out about the Sweden international not featuring against the champions of Scotland.

The Liverpool legend feels that it all ‘makes no sense’, but he thinks Howe was told that Isak ‘can’t play’ against Celtic, as he told ESPN.

“You would have to think that Eddie Howe knows every step of every second that is going on with this situation, because it’s huge,” said Nicol.

“It’s the most important thing right now at Newcastle, so if Eddie Howe is confident that nothing is going to happen, and he isn’t going anywhere, he has to play him, because he has to get him fit for the start of the season. You don’t get fit by just training Monday to Friday. You need games.

“So, it makes no sense that Alexander Isak doesn’t take part in this game – maybe he has been told that something has gone on and you can’t play him, in case he gets injured. That’s what happens.

“If Isak plays against Celtic and gets injured, there is £150 million down the drain.”

Celtic could still face Isak…

The Newcastle game was Celtic’s fifth match of pre-season, and this is where the serious stuff starts because that opening match against St Mirren isn’t far away.

But the main one will be those Champions League qualifiers, and the Hoops need to get through that to secure a ticket into the league phase.

If that happens, then there is a serious chance Celtic face Isak on European football’s biggest stage because Newcastle are also in the Champions League, including Liverpool, who have been tipped to sign him.