Newcastle United have been issued a big injury lift over central midfielder Joelinton... 

What's the talk?

Eddie Howe has revealed that the Brazilian was not far away from being able to be involved against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

He has been dealing with a groin issue in recent weeks and the head coach has offered a glimmer of hope in regards to his return.

The Shields Gazette quotes him as saying: “Joe was close this game, but didn’t quite make it. He started to train us with (on Saturday), but couldn’t complete the session."

Delight

Supporters will surely be delighted with this news as having Joelinton back for the clash with Everton on Thursday will be a huge boost, with it already being a major lift that he is close to being available and was not completely out of the running to feature on Sunday.

There was a time when fans may not have been too excited about having him in contention to play, but he has been transformed into a tough-tackling midfielder and made himself a crucial player for the club after a difficult two-year stint up front. It has been a beautiful redemption story and one that will hopefully continue for years to come as he makes a name for himself on Tyneside.

His statistics as an attacker proved that he was not up to scratch in a forward position at Premier League level. Joelinton scored six times in 69 outings across his first two campaigns with the club, which is a shocking return for a £40m striker.

He is now showing, however, that his poor form was a result of him being played out of position. His performances in the middle of the park have been exceptional and he is now justifying his price tag by delivering top-class displays on a consistent basis. The Brazilian has averaged an impressive 3.4 tackles and interceptions and 7.7 duels won per game, whilst the overall level of his displays has also caught the eye.

In four full months since Howe's arrival at the club, Joelinton has averaged SofaScore ratings of 7.1, 6.9, 7.3 and 7.1 respectively. This shows that he has been consistently providing quality in midfield, with an overall average rating of 7.1 during that spell placing him second to Kieran Trippier in the Magpies squad if you compare it to the rest of the season so far.

This is why supporters will be keen to see him back fit and in action for the Toon as he has shown that he can be a reliable figure in the midfield for Howe to call upon.

AND in other news, Fewer touches than Dubravka: NUFC liability with 45% passing should never start again...