Newcastle United WAG reveals behind-the-scenes graft of Carabao Cup hero amid ban talk

No rest for the wicked - that seems to be the motto in the Joelinton household these days. While others go for the R&R approach in the middle of a three-day gruelling Premier League week, the big Brazilian was spotted putting in the hard yards in his home gym with Aston Villa on the horizon.

The Magpies take on Villa in the Midlands looking to as good as seal their place in the Champions League spots. A win wouldn’t make it mathematically certain, but it would go some way to cementing their place in the top five, something they’ve laid down the roots to in the last few weeks.

It’s been a remarkable season so far, with Carabao Cup delight ending a 70-year-wait for a domestic trophy, then a remarkable drive towards the top two after it, including a 4-1 win over Manchester United on Sunday, followed by a 5-0 win over Crystal Palace on Wednesday. Joelinton has been at the very heart of it. And there’s little doubt he will be at Villa Park, too, having somehow managed to avoid a two-game ban.

While others, including countryman Bruno Guimaraes, have been taking time away from the hustle and bustle of training, Joelinton is staying right in the zone. And that was obvious from the shots shared by his wife Thays Gondim on her Instagram. She shared a video of the player in the background, doing some leg work on a machine, in what looks like their home gym in a converted garage.

The pair also shared their moment in St James’ Park after the game, which can be seen above. In the post, this time to the player’s Instagram, he shared an image of himself and his wide with the caption: “Minha melhor amiga e meu grande amor.” The message, in Portuguese, reads in English: “My best friend, my great love.”

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Joelinton disciplinary record

The midfield walked a disciplinary tightrope these last few weeks, needing to avoid a ninth booking of the campaign before the cut off date, which was Wednesday for United, in order to skirt around an extended period on the sidelines. And although he was far from happy to be removed midway through the second half of the Palace romp, it was a clever move by stand-in boss Jason Tindall to keep him available for battles of the future.

Newcastle United team news

“When you’re in good form and winning games it becomes difficult to change your team unless you feel players aren’t performing and I don’t think anyone can say that because the players are collectively and individually delivering excellent performances.

“In some senses the team does pick itself, but we’ve got a fantastic squad and everyone’s played their part this season. Everybody is going to need to play their part in the remaining six games.”