The Brazilian midfielder missed the final five matches of last term after admitting defeat in his attempts to play through the pain barrier caused by an issue with his knee.
He was also not involved in Brazil’s summer international programme as he opted for rest and recuperation ahead of more intrusive surgery, but he returned to Newcastle’s Darsley Park training base last week as the Magpies began to crank up their pre-season preparations.
He is back firing on all cylinders after his extended break, and is set to feature in Newcastle’s opening pre-season friendly at Celtic next weekend.
“I feel good now,” said Joelinton, who is heading into his seventh season as a Newcastle player. “I’ve had a long time to recover. The start of it was very difficult as, personally, I was very frustrated about the injury at the end of the season.
“There was a lot of important games and I could have been with the team. I was very sad, but I knew I had to step out and recover because of my knee as I couldn’t help the team in the way I wanted. It was the best decision and I had enough time to recover and come back, starting with the guys in pre-season.
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“My knee is good, I feel fully fit and happy. Injuries are not what you want but they can happen in football sometimes and you just have to deal with them and do everything you can to be fit. I now hope to have a season without injuries.”
Joelinton was at Newcastle’s training complex last week as Anthony Elanga completed his £52m move from Nottingham Forest, and was part of the greeting party that welcomed the winger to Tyneside.
After a succession of transfer windows without any major additions, Newcastle are set to make three or four key moves in the market this summer, with Joelinton hailing Elanga’s arrival as a major step forward.
“He’s (Elanga) a really good player with a lot of qualities,” he said, in an interview with Newcastle’s official website. “He’s very fast, can score or assist and has been tough to play against so I’m happy he’s now joined us.
“He will be very welcomed into the group and we will do everything to make sure he feels at home and comfortable so he can do what he has been doing for Nottingham Forest. I’m very happy he has signed and I wish him all the best.”
Thoughts now turn to the rest of pre-season, which will see the Magpies head to a training camp in continental Europe before flying off on a tour of the Far East that will feature matches against Arsenal, Tottenham and a South Korean K-League select side.
“I’m really looking forward to pre-season, playing a lot of good games to get minutes in the legs,” said Joelinton. “Football also gives us the opportunity to visit different countries.
“I’ve never been to Singapore or South Korea so it will be the first time and I’m excited for it, seeing new cultures and learning things. We’ll be playing in Suwon, where the Brazil national team played in the World Cup (in 2002) so I can’t wait.
“Physically, pre-season is about getting back to work and into that routine we have. It’s also important to be injury-free and prepare well before the first league game of the season. Everything we do now is to get that confidence and knowing we’ve had a good pre-season and are ready to start the season well.”