Saturday’s briefing: Newcastle fear over Isak and Hampton shows bottle

The Alexander Isak transfer saga continues with Eddie Howe offering a gloomy forecast to Newcastle fans.

Oliver Glasner feels Crystal Palace are being unfairly punished.

Birmingham were denied a win in their Championship opener by late penalty drama, and England keeper Hannah Hampton revealed she used some of football’s dark arts to help the Lionesses to Euros glory.

Howe do you solve a problem like Isak?

Eddie Howe admitted Newcastle are “not in a position” to refuse to sell Alexander Isak as speculation continues linking the striker with Liverpool.

Isak was absent as his side drew 2-2 with Espanyol in a pre-season friendly and is likely to remain so beyond the Magpies’ Premier League opener.

Head coach Howe said: “I’d want Alex to be playing today, I’d want him training tomorrow. But I don’t see that changing before Aston Villa, the current situation we’re in.”

Asked if the club could simply dig in their heels and refuse to sell, Howe said: “I don’t think it’s that straightforward, otherwise we’d have done that a long time ago. I don’t think we’re in a position to do that currently.”

Liverpool boss Arne Slot earlier refused to be drawn on speculation around Isak, saying: “As you know, from me and I think every manager works like this, you never talk about players that are not yours.

“I can talk about Hugo (Ekitike), who we have signed and who has done really well. Darwin (Nunez) might leave, indeed, but things are not signed so we need to wait a few days until that is completely done.”

Glasner awaits Euro fate

Glasner admitted Crystal Palace’s demotion to the Conference League “feels like we are punished, but being innocent” ahead of Monday’s legal verdict to seal their European fate.

As the Eagles boss was speaking in London, Palace chairman Steve Parish and the club’s lawyers were in session at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland for their appeal hearing, presenting arguments they hope will restore the FA Cup winners’ place in UEFA’s second-tier competition.

Parish told reporters outside the court in Lausanne on Friday that he was confident the club’s case was a strong one and hoped they would be given a fair hearing.

“If you get punished when you feel innocent it’s tough,” said Glasner.

“And it feels like this. If we play Conference League it feels like we are punished, but being innocent. On the other side, if we had ended the season on position seven and go straight into the Conference League, we all would have celebrated. So these are the two feelings we have.”

Hampton showed bottle

England goalkeeper Hampton has revealed how she threw the water bottle of Spanish rival Cata Coll into the stands during the European Championship final.

Coll had information about England’s penalty takers written on the bottle, but Chelsea keeper Hampton slung it away during the shoot-out which the Lionesses won 3-1.

“The Spanish keeper had it on her bottle,” Hampton told talkSPORT.

“So I thought when she was going in goal I’ll just pick it up and throw it into the English fans so she can’t have it.

“She was so confused and I was trying to not burst out laughing!”

Coll laughed off the claim, tweeting in Spanish: “Okay, okay, calm down. If only it were true…”

Blues pay late penalty

George Hirst netted a dramatic stoppage-time penalty as Ipswich snatched a 1-1 draw at Birmingham.

Jay Stansfield opened the scoring for the newly-promoted Blues shortly before half-time.

But during eight minutes of stoppage time, Lyndon Dykes was penalised for handball and Hirst confidently scored from the spot.

What’s on today?

Relegated Southampton host newly-promoted Wrexham in an eye-catching lunchtime Championship opener.

In Scotland, Rangers welcome Dundee to Ibrox for the early-evening kick-off.

Many Premier League clubs have glamour pre-season friendlies including Everton, who meet Roma in their first match at their new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock.

Manchester United host Fiorentina and Leeds face AC Milan in Dublin.