Joelinton is on the verge of making his first competitive appearance for Newcastle United under Matthias Jaissle.
Newcastle United vice-captain Joelinton is ready to be unleashed by Matthias Jaissle for the first time.
The Brazilian has been out with a thigh problem since pre-season but was still named as Newcastle’s new vice-captain by Jaissle, with Dan Burn, who has also been out injured since the start of the season, named captain.
But Joelinton returned to training at Newcastle during the three-week international break and is ready to finally return to action at Coventry City on Monday night (8pm kick-off).
Matthias Jaissle, Head Coach of Newcastle United, laughs with Joelinton of Newcastle United following the pre-season friendly match between Valencia CF and Newcastle United at Estadio Mestalla on August 08, 2026 in Valencia, Spain. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)placeholder image
Matthias Jaissle, Head Coach of Newcastle United, laughs with Joelinton of Newcastle United following the pre-season friendly match between Valencia CF and Newcastle United at Estadio Mestalla on August 08, 2026 in Valencia, Spain. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images) | Getty Images
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‘A leader’ - Matthias Jaissle on Joelinton
And Jaissle told the Gazette what the 30-year-old will bring to his side now he’s back involved.
“Of course, on the ball, out of possession qualities, when I'm just thinking about how much he can deliver and contribute to the team on the pitch, but as well off the pitch,” he explained. “He's a true leader. Probably in the training session you could join last week, you could hear it already.
“He's just communicative. He is a leader; his body language shows that. You need also warriors in the team, and therefore we're really happy to have him back.”
Where does Joelinton fit into NUFC’s side?
Joelinton has previously been used in attacking positions for Newcastle, struggling as a central striker but finding some joy when deployed on the wing. Ultimately, he found his home as part of a midfield three in Eddie Howe’s system, mostly alongside Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali.
But with Guimaraes and Tonali gone and Jaissle adopting a 4-2-3-1 formation, there are question marks over exactly how Joelinton fits in this new-look United side.
“Mostly, for sure, you see him with us as a midfielder,” Jaissle said. “But he's also versatile, and this is something I really appreciate with players. It's not only Joe, there are many more players in our squad who can play multiple positions, and that helps the team, that helps the coach, because then you are also less predictable.
Jaissle added: “Depending on how you see the formation. Often we start out with a 4-2-3-1.
“So you play with three midfielders. Again, if a six tends to be slightly higher, like we had the approach in the last match, then you have two eights. So don't make it as fixed as you may think.
“So it's slight differences. You know, if he's five metres higher, again, then we're talking about the eight. If he's, then again, five metres higher, you're talking maybe about a ten.
“If he's five metres higher, then you're talking about two strikers. So let's keep it flexible. And we want to bring the players in the best possible position where they can shine, but also where they can help the team.”
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Joelinton has made the most appearances and scored the most goals for Newcastle out of any player currently at the club with 35 goals in 263 outings since joining from Hoffenheim, Jaissle’s former club, in 2019 for a then club record £40million fee.
Despite initially being deemed a flop, Joelinton bounced back remarkably after being moved into midfield and played a key role in the club twice qualifying for the Champions League and winning the Carabao Cup under Howe.
Now it’s time to see what he has to offer in Jaissle’s side.
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