Newcastle United will travel to Fulham on Saturday without Joelinton, after head coach Matthias Jaissle confirmed the Brazilian midfielder is injured again and unavailable for the trip to Craven Cottage.
Jaissle delivered the news at his pre-match briefing on Thursday, ruling Joelinton out just three weeks after he returned from the thigh problem that had kept him out since the summer. The midfielder limped off during Monday's 1-0 home defeat by Everton, and Newcastle are still deciding how to treat the latest setback.
"Joelinton went out with an injury again, we need to make the final treatment plan for him and see how long he will be out," Jaissle told Newcastle United's official site. Reporting around the club, including Craig Hope in the Daily Mail via the local press, says Joelinton felt muscle discomfort after the Everton game, with hope inside the camp that it proves to be severe cramp rather than another strain — but Newcastle will take no chances given his history of muscle injuries.
Ramsey banned as the midfield thins out
Joelinton is not Jaissle's only problem in midfield. Jacob Ramsey is suspended for the Fulham game after his red card against Everton, leaving Newcastle short of senior options in the middle of the pitch at exactly the wrong moment, as the Fantasy Football Scout team-news round-up also noted on Thursday.
There was better news elsewhere. Lewis Miley is "getting better and better" and making the progress Jaissle expected, while Matias Fernandez-Pardo is training again after more than two weeks out with a heavy virus, though his fitness will be assessed before Saturday. Jaissle also praised youngster Sean Steur, who impressed off the bench against Everton, and admitted Newcastle "need to find a way" to give him more minutes.
So what does this mean for Newcastle?
The timing could hardly be worse. Newcastle have lost back-to-back games to Everton — in the Carabao Cup and then in the league on Monday — and the club publicly backed Jaissle this week while promising January backing. A reaction at Fulham, where Newcastle won on their last visit to London at Crystal Palace, is now expected without their most physical midfielder and with a banned Ramsey watching from the stands.
Joelinton's absence changes how Newcastle press and how they protect their back four. Without him, the burden falls on Nico Gonzalez and Joe Willock to win the duels Fulham's midfield will look to dominate, and Jaissle's call on Steur — start him or protect him — becomes one of the weekend's most interesting selection decisions.
Beyond the Final Whistle: Joelinton's body is becoming Newcastle's biggest January problem — bigger than any signing. A midfielder this important cannot keep breaking down three weeks after every return, and until Newcastle either fix his load or find genuine cover, every good run this team builds will rest on one man's hamstrings. Fulham away, without him and without Ramsey, is exactly the kind of scrappy afternoon that will show whether Jaissle's squad is deep enough for the season he has promised.
Can Newcastle find a reaction at Craven Cottage without Joelinton — or will the injury list decide this one before kick-off? Let us know what you think in the comment section.
