Medical expert: Joelinton may need surgery and be out for ‘six weeks’ after Newcastle latest
It is possible that Newcastle United star Joelinton may need surgery to correct a groin issue – and that could mean six weeks on the sidelines.
That is the view of injury expert Ben Dinnery, who runs the Premier Injuries site and has a background in medicine and data analysis.
Joelinton broke down twice in the opening 40 minutes of the vital win over Leeds United last Saturday (22 January) before Eddie Howe took him off.
As quoted by the Shields Gazette later that day, the manager revealed that the in-form striker was struggling with a persistent groin problem.
Dinnery suggested the Brazilian may have suffered a “sportsman’s hernia” which would require an operation to treat.
“He has been managing this groin injury since the start of Eddie Howe’s tenure,” he told Football Insider‘s Adam Williams.
“There is a possibility that it’s a sportsman’s hernia. I’d suggest that assessments are still ongoing during this break.
“They can be painful but they can also be managed carefully, which is why we see players have this type of issue carry on playing.
“A good example would be Vydra at Burnley. He has been in and around the starting XI for a few months.
“He was scheduled for surgery but that was disrupted because of Covid, so that shows you it’s more of a pain management issue.
“What I would say with Joelinton is that in recent games, this injury hasn’t looked evident given his performance.
“So given what we know, it doesn’t seem too severe. With a little bit of rest after the break, hopefully it can be managed until the end of the season.
“If it is a hernia then there is a possibility of going under the knife. We’ve seen players come back after the five or six-week mark from that.
“Any specialist treatment will be done early on in order to minimise the impact in terms of Premier League games he might miss.“
Joelinton has just one goal and one assist in 22 outings this term but Howe has hailed an upturn in his recent performances.
Newcastle are up to 18th in the league table after the win at Elland Road.
In other news, pundit tips Newcastle United to complete Dele Alli signing within days after development in last 24 hours.