Newcastle United have been relatively inconsistent this season.

The Magpies are currently 13th in the Premier League table, eight points clear of the bottom three.
But they have struggled in recent weeks to put together a consistent run of form.

Bruce’s side beat Crystal Palace 2-0 last time out but that result followed two defeats, to Chelsea and Southampton.

It has been stop-start, then, and that only continued earlier this week as their clash with Aston Villa, scheduled for Friday, was postponed because of a COVID-19 outbreak.

Nevertheless, the Premier League table remains genuinely bunched-up and the Magpies are only four points behind fourth-placed Leicester City ahead of this weekend’s fixtures.

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And striker Joelinton, who has scored once and laid on one assist this term, has tipped Bruce’s side to muscle their way into a European qualification dog fight.

Speaking to Yahoo Brasil, as quoted by Chronicle Live, he said: "Our intention is to go as far as possible, but we know the difficulties of the Premier League.

"I think we have to think game by game, with each victory, so that we can walk a good path in the competition and, in the end, pinch a spot in some European competition.

“I’m a guy who likes to think more day by day, game by game. My goal is always to score when I have the opportunity to help our team win. I have great career goals and I work daily so that I can reach them."

GIVEMESPORT’S Harry Sherlock says…

Okay, okay, stop laughing.

Newcastle would have a chance of qualifying for Europe if they could guarantee keeping Callum Wilson fit.

But he is injury-prone and the spectre of relying on Joelinton, who is as allergic to goals as a dog is to chocolate, casts a long shadow.

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Joelinton, after all, has scored seven goals in 56 Newcastle games since his move in 2019.

Wilson has scored seven goals in nine games since his move in the summer.

The 24-year-old might be right, then, provided he isn’t actually, you know, in the team.