26 games, 24 goals; one goal from a striker. It seems as if Steve Bruce has run out of patience, according to the latest reports.
Joelinton is the only out of Newcastle’s four strikers this season to score a goal in the Premier League, however, he is the player who could be getting axed from the starting line up this weekend.
The Daily Star suggests that Dwight Gayle will be back in action on the weekend after facing a spell on the sidelines. He has allegedly been training all week, which means that he could return to the team to play against his former team Crystal Palace, who sold him to Newcastle upon their relegation to the Championship in 2016.
If Gayle was to get a start this weekend, it would be just his third of the season as Joelinton has had the backing from his manager for the majority of the campaign. The 29-year-old has featured nine times in total but has failed to grab a goal or assist from his 178 minutes of Premier League football.
Gayle or Joelinton this weekend?
Gayle
Joelinton
Both
Neither
Similarly, Joelinton has also struggled to find the net, though he has had much more time to try. From his 2040 minutes in the league this season, he has added just one goal – way back in August against Spurs – and two assists. Not exactly the greatest return from 26 appearances.
It will be interesting to see how they do set up if they are to play Gayle, as Joelinton’s height and strength make him more of an option to go long to, which suits Bruce’s 5-4-1. Gayle, on the other hand, loves to get in behind and get beyond the defenders, so there could be a slight adjustment to how they play if Joelinton is dropped.
The report suggests that Joelinton could be joined by Gayle up top, or they could just choose to drop him from the team altogether.
If they do opt for Gayle, they could see themselves struggle against a robust Palace defence who like to drop deep. There won’t be much space to run into against their defence, and it’s likely Gayle might get outmuscled by the likely starters of Gary Cahill and Scott Dann.