Will Midfielder Joelinton Return This Season?

Newcastle, May 2 (NationPress) Newcastle United's head coach Eddie Howe has indicated that midfielder Joelinton is unlikely to play for the remainder of the 2024/25 Premier League season due to needing "a period of rest" as a result of his ongoing knee injury.

Howe, who was recently nominated for the Barclays Premier League Manager of the Month award for April, disclosed that Joelinton may be absent for the final four matches of the season. He expressed optimism that players such as Jacob Murphy and Harvey Barnes can maintain their strong performances as the team strives for Champions League qualification for the second time in three years.

"The likelihood is that it will be challenging (for him to play again this season). But with Joe, you can never count him out. He’s incredibly determined to return. He experienced some discomfort in his knee last week before the match, so we sought a specialist's advice. The diagnosis was not serious, but he required a period of rest, and he is currently in Brazil. We will see if we can bring him back before the season wraps up, but it seems unlikely," Howe mentioned during a pre-match press conference.

The 28-year-old midfielder did not participate in last week’s 3-0 victory over Ipswich. Players including Lewis Miley, Sean Longstaff, and Joe Willock are potential options to step in for Joelinton during their upcoming match against Brighton on Saturday.

"We still have great confidence in Joe, who plays a similar role to Joelinton, particularly on the left side of the pitch. He possesses goal-scoring instincts, is highly attack-minded, fast, athletic, and a proficient ball carrier.

"Joe has made significant contributions this season, especially in the Carabao Cup, where he netted several crucial goals for us. There’s no denying his quality, but he likely needs a consistent run of games to reach his peak performance, which we hope he can achieve," Howe added.

Currently, Newcastle is positioned third in the Premier League standings, with only two points separating them from Nottingham Forest in sixth place. Regarding the club's final four fixtures, Howe stated, "This is exactly where you want to be—having clear control over your fate with four games remaining. We recognize that situations can change drastically within a single round of matches, so we must maintain our focus."

"Maintaining intense focus and consistency in our training has been a long-standing commitment, and our recent results have been impressive. However, we want to avoid a decline at the end. We believe in our team," he concluded.