<p>The injury that forced Newcastle United forward Alexander Isak off the pitch during Saturday's 1-1 draw at Crystal Palace in the <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/premier-league">Premier League</a> was not major, Newcastle manager Eddie Howe said.</p><p>A struggling Newcastle, who had no shot on target during the match where they led thanks to Palace defender Marc Guehi's own goal, settled for a point after Daniel Munoz equalised in added time.</p><p>"It was a contact injury, not a muscle pull, which is good news for us. We hope he will recover quickly but at this moment I don't know," Howe said about Isak.</p>.Arsenal thump West Ham to go second, Kluivert bags penalty hat-trick for Bournemouth.<p>Injuries to strikers have hindered 10th-placed Newcastle throughout this season, with England international Callum Wilson missing four months with a back injury.</p><p>Wilson, who returned to action in Monday's 2-0 loss to West Ham United, was not ready to come on in the first half to replace Isak, Howe told the post-match press conference.</p><p>"Obviously, he has minimal training time and I have to be really, really careful I don't push him and lose him," he said. "So I didn't feel bringing him on at that stage with the minutes we had left of the game was something I could do."</p><p>Howe rued the continued impact of injuries in the team's performance ahead of a difficult December.</p><p>"We look a bit low on confidence and losing Alex was a huge blow to that," the manager said.</p><p>Newcastle host leaders Liverpool on Wednesday.</p>
<p>The injury that forced Newcastle United forward Alexander Isak off the pitch during Saturday's 1-1 draw at Crystal Palace in the <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/premier-league">Premier League</a> was not major, Newcastle manager Eddie Howe said.</p><p>A struggling Newcastle, who had no shot on target during the match where they led thanks to Palace defender Marc Guehi's own goal, settled for a point after Daniel Munoz equalised in added time.</p><p>"It was a contact injury, not a muscle pull, which is good news for us. We hope he will recover quickly but at this moment I don't know," Howe said about Isak.</p>.Arsenal thump West Ham to go second, Kluivert bags penalty hat-trick for Bournemouth.<p>Injuries to strikers have hindered 10th-placed Newcastle throughout this season, with England international Callum Wilson missing four months with a back injury.</p><p>Wilson, who returned to action in Monday's 2-0 loss to West Ham United, was not ready to come on in the first half to replace Isak, Howe told the post-match press conference.</p><p>"Obviously, he has minimal training time and I have to be really, really careful I don't push him and lose him," he said. "So I didn't feel bringing him on at that stage with the minutes we had left of the game was something I could do."</p><p>Howe rued the continued impact of injuries in the team's performance ahead of a difficult December.</p><p>"We look a bit low on confidence and losing Alex was a huge blow to that," the manager said.</p><p>Newcastle host leaders Liverpool on Wednesday.</p>