Former Newcastle United striker warns 'we should be careful' when speculating on Alexander Isak's situation
Jon Dahl Tomasson is a former Newcastle United striker who didn't really get anywhere near his full potential on Tyneside, but now the Danish striker is the manager of the Sweden national team and finds himself linked with Newcastle in a very different way.
As the Sweden boss, Tomasson has to make a decision on what to do about Alexander Isak. As important as Isak is for Newcastle, he's even more important for Sweden, as it's not like they can just dip into the transfer market.
With Isak training away from the Newcastle squad and refusing to play, Tomasson has to assess if it's even worth selecting Isak for Sweden's next games.
However, Tomasson is supportive of his star striker and urged caution to anyone speculating on the situation.
Jon Dahl Tomasson warns that we don't have the full picture when it comes to Alexander Isak
Speaking to Fotbollskanalen in Sweden, Tomasson says he has been in contact with Isak throughout the summer.
"First of all Alex is an extremely professional player. A fantastic character and personality. I have spoken to Alex a lot during this period.
"Situations like this are quite complex. These are extremely complex environments that the players operate in.
"I'm sure it will work out in the end, but you have to know the whole picture before you draw conclusions. That's always a good tip."
Sweden has two World Cup qualifiers next month
Tomasson went on to clarify that he doesn't know the full extent of the situation.
"I don't know the whole picture either. It's quite normal because there's a lot of politics in a football club.
"But one thing is for sure: Alex is a great guy and very professional. We should all be very careful about drawing conclusions because we don't know the bigger picture."
Sweden may still call upon Alexander Isak even if he's not played this season
Speaking on whether Isak would be called up, Tomasson says he will speak to Isak and hopes he'll be in team training before then.
"There is time. He is a professional and I know he has been training. Of course, he hasn't trained with a team and hasn't played any matches. Let's wait and see.
"We will have a good chat, Alex and I, and hopefully he will be back in team training soon."
A couple of World Cup qualifiers with Sweden could be exactly what Alexander Isak needs in terms of getting some minutes under his belt and some time away from Newcastle, if indeed he is still a Newcastle player at that point.
If he is, then the time away could give him a chance to clear his head and come back with a new attitude. Although we still think it has gone too far. The players and fans may struggle to welcome him back.
