Bruno Guimaraes hit by shock decision as Newcastle United captain ruled out

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Newcastle United midfielder Bruno Guimaraes won’t start for Brazil in the upcoming World Cup Qualifier against Chile on Friday.

The Newcastle midfielder has been a regular for the Brazil national team in recent years. Under new manager Dorival Junior, Guimaraes has started nine out of 10 matches - but in that time the five-time world champions have struggled.

Brazil currently sit fifth in the CONMEBOL 2026 World Cup Qualification table and are just one point above missing out on qualification as things stand. With a lot of pressure on Brazil heading into the match against Chile, Dorival Junior has announced that he will be making changes to his side for the match.

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And that has seen him rule Guimaraes out of his starting line-up.

Explaining the decision, the Brazil boss told Globo Esporte: “Bruno is a very important player. His departure today doesn’t mean he loses his importance, he knows that. It’s just an attempt to find a different midfield, with a player who is more accustomed to getting closer, as is the case with [Lucas] Paquetá.”

West Ham United star Paqueta is to be named in the starting line-up ahead of his close friend Guimaraes. And Dorival Junior believes he will be better suited to how he wants his side to play.

“He [Paqueta] has already performed this role in other moments here in the national team, maybe we can repeat all of this,” Dorival Junior added. “Especially because we will have a player like Raphinha in the middle who will support the midfield.

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“With this, we will strengthen our ability to recover the ball and reach the opponent’s goal a little more. This does not mean that, in the match, Bruno cannot maintain his importance in the group. He was one of the best players, if not the best, in the Copa América.”

It will be an unusual feeling for Guimaraes, who has rarely been dropped for club or country in recent seasons. After the Chile game, Guimaraes will be hoping to get back in the side for next Wednesday’s match against Peru before returning to Newcastle for the Premier League clash against Brighton & Hove Albion on October 19 (3pm kick-off) where he is set to captain the side.

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