Newcastle United Joelinton has finally linked up with the Brazil squad in Seoul. He completes Carlo Ancelotti’s 26-man group for the upcoming friendlies against South Korea and Japan, as reported by Globo Esporte.
The Newcastle United midfielder landed in the Korean capital on Wednesday afternoon (local time). That was after a travel delay caused by a problem with one of the plane’s windows.
The aircraft had to return to Amsterdam mid-flight, forcing Joelinton to spend the night in the Netherlands. Indeed, he managed to be on a flight for 12 hours but land in the same place. His club teammate Bruno Guimarães faced the same issue but managed to reach Seoul earlier via Germany.
“Everything I’ve been building at Newcastle United”
Because of the delay, Joelinton missed Brazil’s training session at Goyang Stadium on Wednesday. Still, the 28-year-old expressed his joy at being back with the Seleção. This was especially true after he missed the September squad through injury.
“It’s always gratifying and a source of great pride to wear the Brazilian national team jersey and represent my country,” he told Globo Esporte.
“I’m thrilled that my name is back on the list, and I can promise a lot of dedication and commitment to live up to the trust placed in me.”
He also said that his consistent performances at the St. James’ Park have been key to earning another call-up. “I believe all of this is the result of my day-to-day work at the club, and everything I’ve been building at Newcastle United.”
“The World Cup is just around the corner, and we know every opportunity is important. It’s a dream to play in the World Cup, so now it’s time to enjoy this moment and do a good job”, he added.
Joelinton has featured seven times for Brazil so far, starting three matches and scoring once. He also received a red card on his debut cycle. Reflecting on past setbacks, he recalled the frustration of being injured just after being called up for matches against Chile and Bolivia.
“That was very painful because I had high expectations,” he said. “But that’s part of our job, and we have to know how to deal with it. Thank God it wasn’t anything serious, and I recovered quickly.”
With Joelinton now in camp, Ancelotti will oversee Brazil’s first full training session on Thursday at the Seoul World Cup Stadium.
