Newcastle United midfielder Joelinton was snubbed by his country last week, but the door has not been closed on him representing Brazil in the future.
Caretaker manager Ramon Menezes named a 23-man Brazil squad for their upcoming friendly against Morocco, but failed to include Newcastle’s two Samba stars Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton.
It was a shock to see Bruno miss out, having been a constant part of the Selecao squad over the past year. He was with them at the World Cup in Qatar, where they lost in the quarter finals to Croatia.
As for Joelinton, he has never been named in the Brazil senior squad. The best he has achieved is an Under-17s appearance.
However, his recent form for Newcastle has raised speculation that he could receive international recognition. The Daily Mail recently reported that he was in contention to win a debut callup.
That didn’t happen, with Menezes opting against picking the 26-year-old. However, he has offered the Toon enforcer an international lifeline.
Ramon Menezes offers Joelinton hope in bid to play for Brazil
Following the announcement of the squad, Menezes has spoke to Lance about some of the players he didn’t pick – including Joelinton.
“Joelinton is a great player and can fit in as a defensive midfielder, midfielder, he is a strong player, who we are watching and who can wear the shirt of the national team at any time,” he said.
Door still open for Joelinton
It is encouraging to see that Menezes has actually named Joelinton as someone who could play for Brazil in the future. Hopefully it happens, as his form since becoming a midfielder has been outstanding.
He isn’t just a flash in the pan – he has continued to thrive this season and is a key player for Eddie Howe. However, he will be suspended for the next two games after he was booked against Manchester City.
When he returns, Joelinton will be desperate to keep impressing, especially as he now knows that the current Brazil boss rates him very highly. As long as he keeps improving, the prospect of a debut Brazil callup remains alive and well.