Newcastle face double suspension risk as Joelinton is joined by in-form player on tightrope

Joelinton managed to escape the referee's book on Saturday in Newcastle United's game against Brighton avoiding an automatic one-game suspension.

The Brazilian beast is on four yellow cards this season meaning if he picks up one more before the 19th game of the season, he will receive an automatic one-game ban for accumulation.

Bruno Guimaraes suffered a similar fate in the second half of last season and managed to go 11 games without picking up a fifth card which would have seen him banned for two games as it would have been his second ban for accumulation.

We doubt that battling midfielder Joelinton could repeat that same feat and it's only a matter of time before he picks up that ban.

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Dan Burn is now also one booking away from a suspension

Big Joe isn't the only Newcastle player walking that tightrope now, though, after Dan Burn picked up his fourth yellow card of the season against his old club on Saturday.

Referee Peter Bankes was very inconsistent when brandishing cards on Saturday and it seemed that Newcastle players had to do a lot less than the Brighton players to find themselves going into the book.

It is what it is, however, and now Burn has to walk on eggshells or risk a ban.

Newcastle have the cover to cope with these suspensions

Fortunately for Eddie Howe, Lloyd Kelly can step in to cover for Burn in that left-centre-back role if Burn gets suspended before Sven Botman returns to action.

Similarly, Howe has plenty of options to fill in for Joelinton in midfield should he pick up the ban, so while neither is ideal, we shouldn't be too stuck if they find themselves with another yellow card a piece.

Of course, we're talking about Newcastle United here so Dan Burn's next yellow card will coincide with Lloyd Kelly picking up a knock in training and we'll end up fielding a mismatch of players at the back because that's just how things go for us lately.

No! We're not doing this negativity again, that was last season's schtick! Things will be fine, just fine. It's all good.