Newcastle have suffered a significant blow with the possibility of star player Joelinton being sidelined for the remainder of the season due to an injury.
The Brazilian sustained the injury in the 3-0 victory against bitter rivals Sunderland in the FA Cup just 10 days ago.
Initial reports indicated a six-week recovery period, but subsequent scans revealed a more severe situation.
According to The Athletic, the 27-year-old now faces the necessity of undergoing tendon surgery, effectively ending his season.
Commenting on the injury to Joelinton, manager Eddie Howe said (via The Sun):
“He’s a huge player for us, it’s a big blow.
“He’s got a problem with the tendon in his quad. It’s a very difficult place to get an injury, hence the timeframe.
“He’s very disappointed. We’ve had to do a job of picking Joe up.
“We’re really stretched in attacking and midfield areas, we have been for a long time and it’s inhibited our ability to rest players and change within games.”
Joelinton has established his position as a crucial player in the Newcastle line-up, playing a significant role last season as well, to help them secure their qualification for the Champions League.
The versatile midfielder who can also play as a winger has 3 goals and 4 assists this season in 23 appearances.
His absence will undoubtedly be deeply felt by Newcastle, especially given their injury-plagued season, hindering their ability to replicate the success from last season.