Brilliant news for Joelinton, another worry for Newcastle?

It’s been a brutal week or so at Newcastle United, featuring two defeats, two injuries, a three-game ban and a 5% rise in season ticket prices that hasn’t gone down too well.

Momentum is needed, not just ahead of the Carabao Cup final next Sunday but for our Premier League hopes too, with European football still well within reach as we travel to West Ham next Monday.

The trip to London will be our last league game before the upcoming international break, seeing several of our star men jet off to play for their countries a few days after our clash with Liverpool at Wembley.

Lewis Hall won’t be in Thomas Tuchel’s England squad after his season-ending foot injury and Sven Botman’s hopes of getting back into the Dutch set up have temporarily dashed, but there was big news for Joelinton as the Brazil squad was announced yesterday.

Joelinton has been recalled to the Brazil squad for their upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Colombia and Argentina later this month.

The 28-year-old scored on his debut for the national side back in June 2023 and recently returned from a knee injury, starting in Sunday’s FA Cup defeat to Brighton.

Joelinton not only rejoins best mate Bruno Guimaraes in the Brazil squad, but is also part of a strong line-up that includes Neymar, Vinicius Junior and Raphinha, along with former Toon target Joao Pedro, Wolves’ Matheus Cunha and Nottingham Forest’s Murillo.

Goalkeepers: Alisson (Liverpool), Bento (Al-Nassr), Ederson (Manchester City)

Defenders: Danilo (Flamengo), Guilherme Arana (Atletico Mineiro), Wesley Franca (Flamengo), Vanderson (Monaco), Gabriel Magalhaes (Arsenal), Marquinhos (PSG), Leo Ortiz (Flamengo), Murillo (Nottingham Forest)

Midfielders: Andre (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Bruno Guimaraes (Newcastle United), Gerson (Flamengo), Matheus Cunha (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Neymar (Santos), Joelinton (Newcastle United)

Forwards: Estevao (Palmeiras), Joao Pedro (Brighton), Raphinha (Barcelona), Rodrygo (Real Madrid), Savinho (Manchester City), Vinicius Jr (Real Madrid)