‘Needless’ - Bruno Guimaraes facing ban for Newcastle United after Premier League rule change

Guimaraes was shown a yellow card for a foul on Emerson in Newcastle’s 2-2 draw at the London Stadium before the international break. It was the Brazilian’s fourth Premier League booking in eight Premier League matches this season, meaning he has to avoid a fifth yellow card before matchday 20 in order to avoid a one-match suspension.

Given his current run of bookings and general tough-tackling approach, it seems unlikely that Guimaraes will avoid another yellow card in each of Newcastle’s next 11 games.

But Magpies head coach Eddie Howe won’t be asking the player to change anything about his game in a bid to avoid suspension.

“It’s like any player, reining in [his aggression] maybe not because you take something away from his natural game,” Howe admitted. “It’s the bookings that are needless that we want to try and take out of our games.

“The rules now mean there will be more yellow cards so the referees [have] definitely tightened up over the summer in terms of discipline, time-wasting and loads of little things to the game where you can and some of our players have picked up a yellow card for nothing, or perceived nothing.

“More yellow cards means more suspensions so we have to be careful. But certainly, I don’t want to be taking aggression out of anyone’s game, it’s the indiscipline ones that we want to try and eradicate.”

Newcastle have already seen one player suspended after picking up five yellow cards with Anthony Gordon missing the trip to West Ham United. The winger is back in contention to face Crystal Palace on Saturday (3pm kick-off).

Newcastle had just one player suspended due to yellow cards last season with Joelinton handed a one match ban after picking up five yellow cards in the first 19 league games and a two match ban for picking up 10 yellow cards inside the opening 32 league matches.

Joelinton has been shown just one booking so far this season along with Harvey Barnes, Sven Botman, Fabian Schar, Sean Longstaff, Miguel Almiron, Dan Burn, Matt Targett, Kieran Trippier and Callum Wilson.

Sandro Tonali has received two bookings and is a further three yellow cards by matchday 20 away from suspension as it stands, but that is the least of the Italian’s concerns amid an investigation into alleged illegal betting.