NEWCASTLE midfielder Joelinton is out for at least SIX WEEKS after suffering a “freak” injury.
Eddie Howe’s squad are already riddled with problems as the likes of Nick Pope, Joe Willock, Harvey Barnes, Matt Targett, Jacob Murphy and Callum Wilson all remain sidelined.
Now Brazilian Joelinton, 27, is the latest player hampered with a fitness issue as he is set to miss a significant chunk of the season with a quad problem.
Howe, 46, confirmed the disappointing news on Friday morning as his team prepare to welcome champions Manchester City this weekend.
He said: “The prospects over the next couple of weeks aren’t good. It’s an injury that will see him miss a minimum of six weeks.
“It’s a real blow for us as he’s a key player. He’s had a stop-start season unfortunately. He was so consistent last year but he’s had a few different problems [this year].
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“We have nobody immediately coming back but there is nobody like Joelinton. So this is a big one.
“Joey has got a problem with his tendon in his quad. It’s a difficult place to get an injury hence the reason why he’s out.
“He’s very disappointed and we’ve been trying to pick him up. Joey’s injury is a freak one where he’s standing up and been caught off balance.”
Joelinton has played 23 games so far this season, scoring three goals and providing four assists.
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He missed a handful of matches back in September due to a hamstring injury, but has started 10 of Newcastle’s last 12 Premier League games.
Newcastle sit ninth in the table, 11 points adrift of the top four following a poor run of results.
They have lost five of their last six league matches, but did beat local rivals Sunderland 3-0 in the FA Cup on Saturday.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
