Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe has confirmed that midfielder Joelinton has been ruled out for several weeks with an injury.
Howe believes that it will be a big blow for Newcastle at a crucial stage of the season. Newcastle are already going through a rough patch and they have dropped important points in recent weeks.
“It isn’t good, it is an injury that will see him miss a minimum of six weeks, it is a real blow for us. He is such an important player. He has a problem with the tendon in his quad. He is very disappointed, he wants to play and do well – we have had to try and pick him up. He is our midfield driving force, it is a big blow.”
The absence of Joelinton will only weaken the squad further and it remain remains to be seen whether they can bounce back strongly.
Newcastle must look to take advantage of the January transfer window and sign a quality player in the next few days if they want to keep their hopes of European qualification alive.
Eddie Howe on Joelinton:
"It isn’t good, it is an injury that will see him miss a minimum of six weeks, it is a real blow for us. He is such an important player. He has a problem with his tendon in his quad. He is very disappointed, he wants to play and do well – we have had to… pic.twitter.com/Lx1hYdpYrD
— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) January 12, 2024
The Brazilian has been an indispensable asset for Newcastle since switching to a midfield role. Newcastle do not have a quality alternative alternative to Joelinton and it remains to be seen how they cope with his absence.
They are already without signing Sandro Tonali, who has been suspended for his involvement in an illegal betting scandal.
Howe has confirmed that the player will be out of action for a minimum of six weeks and therefore he is unlikely to return before March. The Brazilian will need time to regain his match fitness and the only way Newcastle can offset the blow is by signing quality players now. Ideally, they should look to bring into central midfielders before the window closes.