Joelinton ruled out of Fulham as Jaissle opens door to more Sean Steur minutes

Joelinton has been ruled out of Newcastle's trip to Fulham, leaving Matthias Jaissle without both him and the suspended Jacob Ramsey as Sean Steur pushes for more minutes.

Speaking at Thursday's pre-Fulham press conference, Jaissle confirmed the Brazilian has picked up another injury. His treatment plan is still being finalised, with the length of his absence yet to be established.

Thursday's earlier report had raised the possibility of severe cramp after Monday's defeat to Everton. The setback comes only three weeks after Joelinton returned from the thigh problem that had kept him out since the summer.

Will Jaissle finally start Steur alongside Gonzalez?

Jaissle praised Steur's contribution against Everton, saying he has "so much potential" and acknowledging that Newcastle need to find a way to give him more minutes.

Steur hasn't started a match since September, but with Joelinton unavailable and Ramsey banned, there is an obvious opening.

Lewis Miley is progressing, while Matias Fernandez-Pardo is training again after his virus and will have his physical readiness assessed before Fulham.

The question is whether Jaissle will now accommodate Steur alongside Nico Gonzalez, and what that means for the shape of our midfield.

Big Joe's fitness is becoming a real problem

I love Joelinton as much as anyone, but his fitness record has become a joke at this point. He's only just returned from one lengthy absence and we're already waiting to find out how long he'll be missing again.

We need our senior players to step up on and off the pitch, particularly with the team struggling, and unfortunately he's become unreliable in terms of being available. It's difficult to get any continuity in midfield when someone we should be able to build around keeps breaking down.

For me, that makes giving Steur a proper chance alongside Gonzalez all the more important. If Jaissle needs to adjust the shape to make it work at Fulham, so be it.