Newcastle United played a behind-closed-doors friendly against Middlesbrough during the recent international break as part of efforts to reintegrate key players returning from injury. The match, which took place at an undisclosed location, resulted in a 1-0 loss to the Championship side.

Several senior players, including club captain Dan Burn, Joelinton, and Nico Gonzalez, are currently recovering from various injuries. Joelinton, in particular, has yet to make a Premier League appearance this season due to a persistent muscle issue.

Manager Matthias Jaissle expressed optimism about Joelinton’s progress and emphasized the midfielder’s importance to the squad. “He has qualities, on the ball and out of possession,” Jaissle said. “He is a leader and his body language shows that. We need warriors in the team and we are really happy to have him back training with us.”

Jaissle also highlighted that the friendly match aimed to provide game time not only for the senior players but also for younger talent from the club’s academy. “We used that for a few guys who were here, but also for the young lads from the academy, which was good,” he noted.

Looking ahead, the Newcastle manager expressed hope that several players would soon return to the squad after being sidelined. “We are hopeful there will be three or four back from the nine missing against Hull on September 19,” Jaissle said, referring to the substantial number of absent players during that earlier fixture.

Newcastle currently faces challenges in maintaining squad fitness as they seek to regain momentum in the Premier League campaign. The integration of key players like Joelinton will be critical to the club’s efforts in upcoming matches.