Newcastle United latest news: Joelinton has issued a message to his teammates amid Bruno Guimaraes’ injury woes.
Guimaraes has been ruled-out of action until at least April after sustaining a muscle injury against Tottenham Hotspur earlier this month. In all, Guimaraes is set to miss 11 matches in total following that injury blow.
Whilst the Magpies won twice away from home without Guimaraes last week, they were beaten by Manchester City on Saturday night, extending their unwanted Premier League winless record without him in the team. With Guimaraes back in Brazil undergoing treatment, the Magpies have been boosted by the return to fitness of Joelinton.
The former Hoffenheim man suffered a groin injury against Aston Villa at the end of January and missed six games before appearing as a substitute in Baku. Joelinton was again used off the bench by Howe at the Etihad Stadium - but could be handed a start against Qarabag on Tuesday night with his side already 6-1 ahead on aggregate.
Speaking about his season to date and the injury issues he has had to deal with, Joelinton said: “It's been a stop-and-go season for me with all the injuries on my adductor muscle.
“I'm happy to be back, especially with the team already missing Bruno. I'm still not at my best, but hopefully I can help the team and also try a stop in the World Cup with Brazil.”
The Gazette has launched a new WhatsApp NUFC channel to bring the latest news, analysis and team & injury updates directly to your phone.Simply click this link to join our NUFC WhatsApp channel.
During March’s international break, Brazil will play two friendly matches against France and Croatia as Carlo Ancelotti gets one final look at his options before this summer’s World Cup. Joelinton wasn’t included in Brazil’s last squad back in November.
Joelinton issues Newcastle United & Bruno Guimaraes demand
If the Magpies man wants to force himself back into Ancelotti’s plans, then he will want to impress at club level. With eight matches in all competitions to play between now and that international break, assuming there is no miracle comeback from Qarabag on Tyneside, then Joelinton has ample opportunity to impress.
Sandro Tonali has already assumed a leading role in Guimaraes’ absence, but Joelinton has called on his teammates to rally as a group to make sure they can have a successful few weeks without their captain: “He's [Guimaraes] in contact with us all the time, even while in Brazil,” Joelinton added.
“It's hard to be without him, he's our captain, a very important player, a leader. But now it's time for each one of us to step up to try to make up for it.”
Newcastle United have ended a run of four-successive away games, picking up three wins in that time, and now begin a run of five home matches in a row. That sequence begins with a clash against Qarabag on Tuesday night before back-to-back Premier League home games against Everton and Manchester United.
Another clash against the Citizens, this time in the FA Cup, awaits on March 7 before they host either Chelsea or Barcelona in the Champions League in the days after that game.
Continue Reading