Why Bruno Guimaraes should remain on the Newcastle United bench against Aston Villa

The Magpies go into the game looking to make it three Premier League wins in a row for the first time since 2018.

But there are a couple of key selection decisions Howe will have to make in preparation for the match.

Will Bruno Guimaraes start?

Eddie Howe didn’t give too much away in this regard as he said in his pre-match press conference: “He's ready to play. He's shown all the technical qualities that we love about him in training already but it's a case of managing the group and making sure and making the right selections. I thought the midfield balance against Everton was really good.

“I'm sure Bruno will play a lot of games for this football club, I have no doubt about that.

The Brazilian midfielder made his Newcastle debut with a four minute cameo off the bench in Tuesday night’s 3-1 win over Everton. In just a short time on the pitch, he gave the St James’s Park crowd a glimpse of his passing, tackling and technical ability.

There is no doubt Guimaraes would improve Newcastle’s midfield, but the timing needs to be right.

Being a £40million new arrival doesn’t give you a divine right to start, he’ll have to earn his place. Had he started on Tuesday night, we may not have seen Joe Willock put in arguably his best performance of the season.

It’s a team game and Howe understands that. With Newcastle’s midfield three of Jonjo Shelvey, Joe Willock and Joelinton in good form and playing key roles in the last two wins, it’s difficult to see who drops out unless there is a change in formation.

The competition for places is refreshing and Howe has no issue with changing a winning side – but on this occasion, perhaps it’s still prudent to leave Guimaraes on the bench.

It would still be great to see the 24-year-old start and it would create an added buzz around the ground prior to kick-off. A case can also be made that he is the best suited United player at containing his fellow countryman Philippe Coutinho.

But The Magpies have found a good balance in their midfield over the past couple of games that doesn’t need to be disrupted right now – a lengthier appearance from the bench seems like the sensible option.

The left-back gap

With Matt Targett ineligible to play against his parent club, a gap has opened up in the left-back position this weekend.

Howe has a few potential candidates for the role. New signing Dan Burn could make his Newcastle debut this weekend after remaining on the bench against Everton.

The 6ft 7in defender has experience playing in the full-back position for his former club Brighton and Hove Albion. Javier Manquillo has also shown good adaptability to play on the opposite flank despite being a natural right-back.

The Spaniard came off the bench against Leeds United and impressed at left-back. He played a key role in Shelvey’s winner by earning Newcastle a free-kick in a dangerous area.

Howe said in his pre-match press conference: “Dan Burn is an option for us [at left-back] and it's great that I've got a couple of options in that position.

"Manquillo has done really well at left-back – he came on against Leeds and made a huge impact. He's got versatility to play on both sides.”

Then there is Paul Dummett, who hasn’t been seen since going off injured at Elland Road last month. Howe claimed ‘fatigue’ was the reason for his withdrawal as the club continue to monitor the defender’s fitness.

Given Dummett has only started two games all season, it’s highly unlikely that he will be back in the side on Sunday.

Whether it’s a debut for Burn or a return to left-back for Manquillo will be dependent on Kieran Trippier’s availability.

Trippier’s late fitness test

Since arriving at Newcastle, Trippier has brought a genuine world-class presence to the side and that was particularly evident on Tuesday night.

His stunning free-kick sealed a huge three points for United and wrapped up a perfect individual performance from the England international.

The only downside was his late withdrawal due to a calf injury. Trippier has now been assessed by the club, and the news is mixed.

While the defender’s injury isn’t thought to be ‘a long-term’ one, he remains a major doubt for Sunday’s game.

Howe said: “We’ll have to make a late call on it for this game. He’s been so important for us in recent games. He was outstanding against Everton, highlighted by his free-kick. Brilliant execution.

"But his all-round game, I thought, was so good. It would be a big blow to lose him, but we’ll wait and see.”

There is no understating Trippier’s importance to the Newcastle side. They are unbeaten in the Premier League since his arrival from Atletico Madrid last month – picking up seven points out of a possible nine and moving out of the relegation zone.

If he isn’t able to feature, he will be a big miss that will undoubtedly lower Newcastle’s chances of winning. But they still have options available at right-back.

The obvious decision would be to put Manquillo on the right and Dan Burn at left-back in Trippier and Targett’s absence.

A change in formation would also allow Jacob Murphy to potentially come in as a wing-back and Burn slot into the left of a back three.

Emil Krafth is also an option though it’s difficult to see either getting into the side ahead of both Burn and Manquillo should Trippier be unavailable.

Of all the potential decisions Howe has to make, whether he makes the right ones or not will be entirely dependent on the full-time result on Sunday.

Here’s hoping for another three points.

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