Eddie Howe is confident Alexander Isak can handle the "burden" of being Newcastle's star striker.

The 25-year-old Sweden forward netted 24 last season to justify the club-record £63million fee invested during the summer of 2022 to lure him from Real Sociedad.

He has found the going tougher this time around with injuries having taken their toll, and has just a single goal to his name so far this campaign.

But ahead of Sunday's testing Premier League trip to Chelsea, Magpies boss Howe has no doubt that he will rediscover his touch.

The head coach said: "He knows the burden of being the number nine – at Newcastle, you do carry an extra weight with that – but I think he's done that brilliantly since he's been here and we need to support him and give him chances.

"I think he had seven shots last week, so that was a good return and I'd back him if he's having seven shots every week that he's going to score a lot of goals for us."

Isak is not alone in enduring a barren spell – Newcastle have scored only twice in all competitions since Harvey Barnes' strike in a 3-1 defeat at Fulham on September 21 and both have come from the penalty spot – although Howe is not unduly concerned.

He said: "The Brighton game, I was really pleased with our attacking output bar the finish or the last pass. I think we've had 60-odd shots in four games. We should have scored; we haven't.

"I've been through very similar periods many times before. Sometimes there's a reason for it, sometimes it just happens.

"But you have to back the players that we have to score goals. We have some outstanding attacking players within our squad."

Those attacking players will have their work cut out to end the drought this weekend against a Chelsea side showing a marked improvement under new boss Enzo Maresca.

The Italian was able to make 11 changes for Thursday night's 4-1 Conference League win at Panathinaikos in which they extended their recent run to just a single defeat – at Liverpool in the league last Sunday – in nine games.

Asked about the Blues, who are due on Tyneside for a Carabao Cup fourth-round tie on Wednesday, Howe said: "They're beginning to stabilise now in the sense that you can see a consistency in their team selection, a really good 20-odd players to pick from and the strength of their transfer business now, I think, is beginning to show in their performances.

"They have a very good manager, a very good style of play and very strong players, so we know the next two games are going to be a great challenge for us."