Joelinton set to miss rest of season in blow to Newcastle’s Champions League hopes | OneFootball

Joelinton could miss the rest of Newcastle's bid for Champions League qualification because of a knee injury.

Head coach Eddie Howe confirmed on Saturday that the 28-year-old Brazil international was consulting a specialist over the persistent problem, which kept him out of that day's 3-0 Premier League win over Ipswich at St James' Park.

The Magpies are yet to reveal the outcome of that consultation, but the PA news agency understands that while it is likely that he will sit out the final four games of the campaign, he is not formally being ruled out yet given his propensity to bounce back from injury sooner than expected.

Joelinton, a £40m signing from German club Hoffenheim in 2019, has been a revelation since Howe converted him from a misfiring striker into a rampaging midfielder, and his partnership with compatriot Bruno Guimaraes and Italy international Sandro Tonali has been a major factor in this season's success.

Asked about the player on Saturday, Howe, who revealed his knee had not felt "100 per cent right" in training the day before, said: "He's done brilliantly to play through the number of games that he has without being 100 per cent fit, but he got to the point where he felt he needed a slight intervention, so let's keep our fingers crossed it's not serious."

Newcastle, who won the Carabao Cup last month, currently sit third in the Premier League and have high hopes of securing Champions League football for the second time in three seasons after an absence of two decades.

They face a difficult trip to Brighton on Saturday before welcoming Chelsea and Everton to Tyneside either side of a visit to second-placed Arsenal, and Howe will want as many of his biggest names as possible available.

Joelinton's loss would be significant, but the Magpies boss at least has options - if not a direct replacement - with Joe Willock, who deputised for the South American at the weekend - Lewis Miley and Sean Longstaff standing by.

PA