'Not great' - Newcastle United seven-game Bruno Guimaraes concern ahead of Arsenal ban

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Newcastle United will be in an unfamiliar position against Arsenal on Tuesday night with Eddie Howe not having Bruno Guimaraes available.

Guimaraes has been ever-present for Newcastle so far this season and hasn’t missed a match since the Premier League fixture at Bournemouth in November 2023. The Brazilian missed six matches during the 2022-23 campaign due to injury and suspension but those remain the only games he has been unavailable for since his £40million arrival at Newcastle.

But there’s one thing all seven matches have in common, Newcastle failed to win any of them. The Magpies lost Guimaraes’ previous missed match at Bournemouth as well as the home and away fixtures to Liverpool the season prior.

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That season also saw draws against Bournemouth, West Ham United, Crystal Palace and Wolverhampton Wanderers without Guimaraes - making it four points out of a possible 21 for Newcastle without the midfielder.

When the stat was initially put to Howe last year, he told The Gazette: “That’s not a great stat, is it? Hopefully we don’t have to figure that out, I don’t know [how to play without him] because he has [been] in the team.”

Sandro Tonali (left), Bruno Guimaraes (centre) and Newcastle United teammate JoelintonSandro Tonali (left), Bruno Guimaraes (centre) and Newcastle United teammate Joelinton
Sandro Tonali (left), Bruno Guimaraes (centre) and Newcastle United teammate Joelinton | Getty Images

Guimaraes played a key role in helping Newcastle beat Arsenal 1-0 in the Premier League back in November but will now miss the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg due to suspension. The Brazilian was shown his second yellow card of the competition in the previous round as Newcastle beat Brentford 3-1 at St James’ Park.

Now Howe has a selection decision to make in midfield with Joelinton and Sandro Tonali likely to keep their place in the side. Joe Willock, Sean Longstaff and Lewis Miley will all be looking to replace Guimaraes in the starting line-up at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night (8pm kick-off).

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“We will have to try to look at that and find the right balance because the balance has been so good in the last few games. That is why we have executed what we have. To get the balance right with a new player coming in is something we will have to look at closely.

“It is a tight call. We probably have three or four options I can look at to do that. I have a pretty good idea in my own mind which way I will go.”

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