- Bruno Guimaraes asked about Alexander Isak
- Newcastle United captain dodges awkward question
- Graham Potter reflects on Isak call-up
Newcastle United captain Bruno Guimaraes dodged a potentially awkward question about former teammate Alexander Isak as he prepares for action at the World Cup.
Guimaraes and Brazil kick off their campaign against Morocco on Saturday at 11 pm. Carlo Ancelotti’s side will then face Haiti and Scotland in Group C as they look to qualify for the knockout stages.
Guimaraes will play alongside Joelinton for Brazil but isn’t set to come up against any other Newcastle teammates in the Group Stage. The duo could, however, meet Alexander Isak and Sweden further down the road.
Bruno Guimaraes pushed to reflect on Alexander Isak exit
It’s been a difficult season for both players following the transfer debacle that saw Isak sold to Liverpool for a staggering £125 million. The Swedish striker has been plagued with injury while Guimaraes, who has also had his own fitness problems, was part of an underwhelming campaign for Eddie Howe’s side.
Speaking to AS while preparing for the World Cup, Guimaraes was asked specifically if Isak’s exit had hampered Magpies progress.
Looking to dodge the question, the midfielder said: “I see the process as a whole. I don’t think any single incident changed our course.
“We lacked a run of good performances, consistency in the starting eleven, we suffered some injuries, and all of that played a part.”
Isak was, of course, a big miss for the club. The talisman had plundered 27 goals across all competitions last season, but managed just four this term for Liverpool.
The Magpies did splurge the money banked from the sale of Isak on striking duo Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa, but the new arrivals managed just 11 goals between them.
Isak, Wissa and Woltemade are all set for World Cup action and will be looking to find the scoring boots once again.
Woltemade is part of a German side preparing to take on Curacao, the Ivory Coast and Ecuador in Group C. Meanwhile, Wissa and DR Congo take on Portugal, Colombia and Uzbekistan in Group K.
Graham Potter: Alexander Isak’s Newcastle United exit ‘hasn’t gone well’
Isak was on target for Sweden in a recent 3-1 defeat to Norway ahead of the World Cup. That was his first goal for Graham Potter’s side since March 2025.
The striker has made the Sweden squad despite a poor season at Anfield – although any exclusion would have been a head-turning decision from former West Ham man Potter.
Reflecting on picking Isak, the Sweden boss said: “I think it’s probably fair to say it hasn’t gone as well as he would have liked, or anybody would have liked, but sometimes these things happen.
“We sometimes make the assumption that when you sign a player, automatically it’s going to improve everything. I’ve lived that it’s not always the case. You have to settle in, you have to find a way of learning about each other, and how they’re going to play and fit in.
“Okay, Isak playing for Newcastle does this, but how does he adapt to what Liverpool wants him to do? The player doesn’t change. His quality doesn’t change. He’s still a top, top, top player. It’s just how they interact as a team together.
“His injuries have been disappointing for him, but I know him. He’s a great lad who wants to play football and help his team. Sometimes everybody’s career can go up and down, but the quality of the person and the player is undeniable from our perspective.”
In other news, Fabrizio Romano confirms official Newcastle United bid for Anthony Gordon replacement.
