The Newcastle United training ground meeting convened by Eddie Howe

The midfielder has been charged with drink driving after being stopped by police in the early hours of last Thursday. Joelinton is due to appear before magistrates on January 26

Howe said before the game that he was unsure if he would field the 26-year-old in the Premier League game, which was decided by an 89th-minute strike from substitute Alexander Isak.

Asked about his decision to start Joelinton, United’s head coach said: “I had a long meeting with my coaching staff yesterday afternoon after training, where we debated the whole scenario. Ultimately I have to make the decision and I did.

“As I said in my press conference, I didn't under-estimate (the charge), but there's a whole host of things to consider around it, and I felt this was the right call at that moment.”