Joelinton of Newcastle United is consoled by teammate Bruno Guimaraes as he leaves the field after suffering an injury during the Premier League match between Newcastle United and Liverpool at St James' Park on August 25, 2025 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England.placeholder image
Joelinton of Newcastle United is consoled by teammate Bruno Guimaraes as he leaves the field after suffering an injury during the Premier League match between Newcastle United and Liverpool at St James' Park on August 25, 2025 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. | Getty Images
Newcastle United key duo Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton faced a challenging international break.
The midfield pair made the long-haul journey to South Korea and Japan during the international break to link up with Brazil, but it wasn’t without a major hitch.
Both players were mid-flight from Amsterdam to Seoul when the plane was forced to return to the Dutch capital due to a reported broken window. Guimaraes and Joelinton eventually touched down in Seoul on Wednesday, with the former revealing a journey time of over 30 hours.
Not that manager Carlo Ancelotti cared as Guimaraes played 90 minutes in the 5-0 win over South Korea last Friday, while Joelinton was an unused substitute. Guimaraes started again against Japan but was withdrawn on the hour mark in place of Joelinton.
Eddie Howe on Bruno Guimaraes & Joelinton’s mid-flight hitch
Asked about the pair’s travel difficulties, Eddie Howe said: “They weren't texting me mid-air, which disappointed me actually, I'd rather have known instantly! But I found out a little bit later on.
“But it's not ideal for those guys. When they're playing in Brazil, obviously it's a long journey anyway but when they're flying to South Korea and Japan, they're huge distances as we only know from our trips there. Then to have to come back for poor Joe, that was tough for him mentally.
“But he made the journey and he was delighted to join up with his national team. He got another cap. On a personal level, great for him. But yeah, it's tough mentally for those lads that have to travel all that way.”
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Howe added: “I just think the rewards for them are so big. The players love playing for their country, wo I don't think that they look at that as a negative. They look at that as a prize really.
“Yes, there's a consequence; they have to travel a long way. But I think you ask any football fan, if they were given that opportunity, they'd jump at it so I don't see it as a negative.
“I see it as, yes, we have to look after them then the other way. So we have to understand what they've been through and try and make the right decisions so we don’’t run into trouble with them physically or mentally.
“We'll have conversations with all the players and try and make the right calls then to what games we involve them in and if we can ever give them a rest.”
Could Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton be rested v Brighton & Hove Albion?
Howe opted to rest both Guimaraes and Joelinton for their previous visit to the South Coast, which was the goalless draw at AFC Bournemouth on September 21, though stayed coy when asked if he’d do the same again.
The Newcastle boss revealed Joelinton was reported to have picked up a thigh injury on Brazil duty but expected the 29-year-old to train on Friday.
“I think everyone's come back [from international duty] OK,” Howe said. “We were a little bit concerned over Joelinton, but he seems to have come back OK and hopefully he'll train today.
“We were led to believe that there was an issue with his groin, but I think he's come back and said he's fine.
“I think it's always difficult, especially if you look at the length of journeys that they've had in this international window, especially poor Joe, who had to turn around and start his journey again, unfortunately.
“But we'll make an assessment on how they look physically and how they trained today, and then make the decision on the team.”
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