Joelinton red card v Benfica: How many Newcastle United matches will he be suspended for?

A Miguel Almiron brace cancelled out goals from Goncalo Ramos and Alex Grimaldo in the first half as the sides went in at 2-2.

Joelinton was then shown two yellow cards in quick succession as Newcastle ended the match with 10 men.

And in the final minute of normal time, Henrique Araújo stroked home to make it 3-2 to the hosts at Estadio da Luz.

Following the match, United head coach Eddie Howe said: "I'm disappointed, to be honest.

"For me, in pre-season friendlies, the last thing I want to see is a red card for either team unless there’s a tackle that’s really out of the spirit of the game. I don't think Joelinton's tackles were. The second one was late, and he acknowledged that and stayed to try and look after the lad.

"It spoiled the last 10-15 minutes, but it was a good test for us as well. We weren't quite good enough to see the game out, which is disappointing from our perspective.”

There is some confusion as to how red cards are dealt with in pre-season friendlies. Does the player face a suspension, does it carry over into competitive matches?

Joelinton does face a suspension but it will only be one match due to him receiving two yellow cards opposed to a straight red. He will miss Friday night’s match against Atalanta at St James’s Park but will be eligible to face Athletic Bilbao the following day.