Joelinton is missing tonight’s game with Southampton having picked up an injury.
Eyebrows were raised when Eddie Howe named his starting XI earlier, with the Brazilian nowhere to be seen.
It was slightly bittersweet though for a lot of Geordies, with Bruno Guimaraes coming in for his first start for the club since his January transfer.
Joelinton has obviously been a revelation for Newcastle over the past few months.
He has transformed into a dominant central midfielder, and fans just can’t get enough of him at the moment.
Sadly he has missed out tonight, but it sounds as though the South American’s issue is not serious.
Chronicle journalist Lee Ryder describes it as a ‘knock’. But the player travelled down and could be back in the squad for the game against Chelsea on Sunday.
After tonight’s game, Newcastle unsurprisingly are staying down south to minimise travel time.
This is only the second Premier League game Joelinton hasn’t featured him, emphasising how important a player he has become for the club.
Even before Howe’s arrival he was playing quite well in a struggling team.
Of course, since Howe came in though, the former Hoffenheim player has really excelled in his new midfield position.
Hopefully his issue is only minor, and he will be available for selection against the Blues.
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