Last night, Newcastle suffered a 3-2 defeat to Benfica in the Eusébio Cup, in which Joelinton received a red card.
Usually, when it comes to pre-season friendlies, red cards do not carry the same weight as they do in competitive action.
However, something ridiculous has now happened to the £80,000-a-week Newcastle man.
What’s the story?
Well, for some reason, Joelinton will have to serve a one-match suspension as a result of his red card in Portugal.
The Brazilian will now miss Friday’s pre-season friendly against Atalanta, which should anger Eddie Howe.
After all, pre-season is mainly there to help the players get back to full fitness after some time off, while it also serves to help new signings bed in and adjust to the group’s tactical plans.
Now, Joelinton will be 90 minutes behind his teammates – and his Premier League rivals – in terms of preparation, all because of a red card in a friendly.
In our view, that is absolutely ludicrous, and the Magpies should lodge a complaint – unless, of course, it is the club who have decided to punish the South American.
Whoever has inflicted the punishment, the point still stands. Pre-season is all about regaining fitness, and Joelinton being left on the sidelines this Friday is ultimately benefitting nobody, at the end of the day.
Big season for Joelinton at Newcastle
In our view, this is a significant season for Joelinton.
It will be his first full campaign in England which hasn’t been tainted by the presence of Steve Bruce, and after Howe found a suitable position for the 25-year-old, there are no more excuses if he fails to perform.
Additionally, the World Cup begins in November, and despite only ever receiving international recognition at Under-17 level for Brazil, he could work his way into Tite’s squad if he picks up where he left off last season.
Hopefully, alongside Bruno Guimaraes in midfield, Joelinton can put his pre-season red card behind him and have a phenomenal 2022/23 campaign.
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