Bruno Guimaraes will need to avoid a booking for an eighth consecutive match to reduce his chances of a Premier League ban.
The Brazilian will face West Ham United and his international team-mate Lucas Paqueta at St James' Park on Saturday afternoon (12:30pm kick-off). But with Newcastle suffering a recent injury blow to Lewis Miley, they will be keen to avoid any further midfield casualties with Sandro Tonali and Joelinton already ruled out.
Guimaraes is currently on nine yellow cards in the Premier League this season and a 10th would see him issued a two-match ban. If he is booked against West Ham, the 26-year-old will miss the upcoming matches against Everton and Fulham.
But the Brazilian has managed to avoid a booking in each of Newcastle's last seven league matches since picking up his ninth yellow card in a 3-2 defeat to Manchester City in January. While Guimaraes has kept his discipline in recent weeks while under threat of a ban, he still has to avoid a booking in each of Newcastle's next four league matches to escape punishment.
Newcastle winger Anthony Gordon is also at risk of suspension having picked up eight yellow cards so far this season. The 23-year-old would need to receive two bookings in United's next four games to be banned for two games.
Guimaraes and Gordon have already been handed one-match suspensions earlier this season after accumulating five yellow cards in Newcastle's first 19 Premier League matches. Kieran Trippier was also handed such a suspension.
Now Newcastle have played 28 Premier League matches, the suspension threshold has moved to 10 yellow cards with a 32-match cut-off point. So any player shown 10 yellow cards up to and including a club's 32nd match of the Premier League season will be handed a two-match ban.
Guimares and Gordon are the only players who have a chance of being hit with a yellow card suspension with no other players receiving more than five bookings so far this season.
The duo will have to avoid one and two bookings respectively until after Newcastle's match against Tottenham Hotspur on April 13 (12:30pm kick-off) in order to escape punishment.
Here are all the Newcastle United players who have picked up Premier League bookings so far this season...
1. Anthony Gordon - 9 bookings, one sending off
Missed two matchs all season for Newcastle United and both have been down to suspension. Sent off for two yellow cards against West Ham. The red card meant he remained on eight yellow cards rather than 10 but he has since picked up another booking.
2. Bruno Guimaraes - 9 bookings
Just one booking away from a two match suspension but has managed to go 11 games without being booked in all competitions since his ninth yellow against Manchester City in January.
3. Sean Longstaff - 6 bookings
Picked up six bookings but avoided suspension with his fifth yellow coming against Liverpool on New Year's Day, once the 19 game threshold had passed.
4. Joelinton - 5 bookings
Was booked 12 times last season and handed two suspensions but has managed to avoid any suspensions so far this season. Currently injured.