How ready are Eddie Howe's side for the campaign ahead? They have endured a difficult pre-season but so much depends on what happens next

Newcastle have left Alexander Isak out of the squad for their Premier League opener against Aston Villa today, amid interest from Liverpool.Isak’s future is uncertain at the moment as he is at the centre of a transfer saga after Liverpool saw an £110million offer rejected by the Magpies earlier in the month.

With Alexander Isak remaining determined to join Liverpool, the Sweden international would have a lot of bridges to rebuild if he was to ever represent Newcastle again. "You've got a guy who's on £100k-a-week-plus not playing,