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Joelinton is one yellow card away from serving a two-match Premier League ban.
Newcastle United risk being without Joelinton again, having only just welcomed him back from injury.
The Brazilian returned to Newcastle’s starting XI for the FA Cup fifth round defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion last Sunday following a month out with a knee issue. He played an hour at St James’ Park and is expected to retain his place for this evening’s Premier League trip to West Ham United.
But Joelinton heads into the game walking a disciplinary tightrope.
Joelinton at risk of Premier League ban
The 28-year-old is just one yellow card away from serving a two-match Premier League suspension. As per Premier League rules, any player who is booked nine times in their team’s opening 32 league matches is automatically ruled out of the next two games.
That means Joelinton must now avoid a caution in Newcastle’s next five games in order to avoid such punishment.
If the midfielder were to pick up a yellow card at West Ham, he’d miss the fixtures against Brentford and Leicester City before returning for the visit of Manchester United to St James’ Park on April 13.
Joelinton has already served a one-match ban this season for being booked five times inside the opening 19 league matches.
When asked about the fear of a potential ban for Joelinton having only just welcomed him back from injury, Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe said: “Yeah, unfortunately for Joey, he's a very competitive player. He's always on the line, I'd say, in terms of that side, but you need players like that in your squad.
“We'd be desperately disappointed after losing him to injury, to lose him for two games, but hopefully he can control himself like the last time he was on the precipice of a ban. I think he went a number of games without getting booked, so fingers crossed he can do the same.”
Can Joelinton miss the Carabao Cup final?
Booking suspensions are competition-specific so Joelinton’s potential two-match ban would only apply in the Premier League.
However, straight red cards are different and do carry over between competitions, as Anthony Gordon found out last weekend when he was dismissed for violent conduct against Brighton.
Gordon is currently serving a three-match ban, ruling him out against West Ham, Liverpool and Brentford.
So, the only way Joelinton or his teammates would miss the final is if they were shown a straight red card at the London Stadium. There are, of course, injuries to consider but let’s not go there...
Your next read: Liverpool 'lucky' as £85m star escapes Carabao Cup final v Newcastle United ban.