Not only were Newcastle United outstanding against Burnley, but they also welcomed some key players back from injury.

When Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United starting XI was announced at 2pm, there was real depth on the bench.

As expected, Miguel Almiron was included, while there were also returns for Nick Pope and Joelinton. The former has been out since December with a shoulder problem, while the latter has been absent since January due to a thigh injury.

But they were both back in the matchday squad against Burnley, just over a month since Alan Shearer proclaimed how badly Newcastle were missing them.

Now they are back, and we even got to witness a Joelinton cameo on what was a perfect day for the Magpies.

Joelinton makes first appearance since new contract

This was Joelinton’s first Toon appearance since the Tyne Wear derby, and his first since signing a new contract.

There were fears that he may never play for the club again, with that thigh injury almost ruling him out for the rest of the campaign. And that coincided with fears that he would need to be sold, with the midfielder’s previous contract expiring in 2025.

But now Joelinton is here to stay, much to the delight of Eddie Howe and his teammates.

The 27-year-old is a massively important player for this Newcastle team, and he quickly proved why on Saturday.

The incredible stat from Joelinton’s Newcastle return

While Joelinton only played 13 minutes on his Newcastle United comeback, he certainly did not waste any time.

During his absence, we have missed his energy in the middle of the park and his ability to win back possession. And that is a skill that he seemingly has not lost during his injury layoff.

Bruno Guimaraes won the highest number of tackles for Newcastle against Burnley, winning the ball six times.

Incredibly, he was followed in that statistic by Joelinton. Despite only being on the pitch for 13 minutes, he still managed to win four tackles. That is twice as many as Sean Longstaff, who completed two tackles.

Player	Tackles won vs Burnley	Minutes played
Bruno Guimaraes	6	90
Joelinton	4	13
Lewis Hall	4	90
Dan Burn	3	90

Big boost ahead of Newcastle’s final three games

It did not take Joelinton long to show Newcastle what they have been missing, and he has returned at the perfect time.

The Magpies have a lot of momentum right now, and there is real confidence that another season of European football is on the horizon. Of course, nothing is guaranteed, while it is unclear whether it will be Europa League or Europa Conference League.

All Newcastle can do is keep winning, and things are really clicking into gear at the perfect time. The Magpies played really well against Burnley, and they suddenly have key players back from injury.

That includes Joelinton, who will want to have a major impact in Newcastle’s final three games.

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