Newcastle United forward Alexander Isak could return to the first team when the Magpies face Chelsea in the Premier League after the international break, according to journalist Mark Douglas.

The Magpies are missing a host of first-team players and they lost 2-0 against AFC Bournemouth in their previous game.

Eddie Howe couldn't have hoped for a better time to take a breather as the international break will take the attention away for a while. Newcastle will face Chelsea at St James' Park in the Premier League on 25 November.

Writing for Inews, Douglas says that of the injury list, only Isak, 24, is expected to return for the game against Chelsea. Howe will still be relieved to get at least one senior player from his long injury list.

Injury list Sandro Tonali is suspended for the rest of the season, and it's a massive blow for the club.

Jacob Murphy picked up a shoulder injury and will require an operation. Howe said that Murphy could be out for at least two to three months.

Harvey Barnes is also a long-term absentee.

Howe will be hoping to get back Sven Botman after the international break. However, it's not clear how far he is recovering from his knee injury.

The likes of Dan Burn, Elliot Anderson, Callum Wilson, Lewis Hall, Matt Targett, Javier Manquillo and Miguel Almiron are all out injured at the moment.

Almiron picked up a thigh injury - grade 1 muscle injury to the femoral biceps of the right thigh to be more precise - and there were suggestions that he could be out for three months.

However, the Daily Mirror has suggested that Almiron could return within a month.