Is Bruno Guimaraes injured? Latest on 'worry' for Newcastle United midfielder before Aston Villa clash

Newcastle United are sweating on the fitness of key player Bruno Guimaraes ahead of this weekend’s Premier League clash with Aston Villa.

Guimaraes was taken off midway through the Magpies’ 3-0 UEFA Champions League win over PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday night, unable to continue due to an ankle injury. It takes a lot for the midfielder to accept a substitution, and he normally battles through, so it must have been a painful blow.

The midfielder was arguably lucky to be on the pitch as long as he was, as he caught Joey Veerman high up on the shin with his studs and survived a red card earlier in the first half. Guimaraes, who picked up his knock early in the first half after a collision with Mauro Junior, was unable to carry on beyond the halfway point and he’s now a doubt for this weekend.

Will Bruno Guimaraes play against Aston Villa?

It really depends on how the next couple of days go for Guimaraes when deciphering if he will be fit enough to play Villa. It looked like a painful injury for the Brazil international, but it really depends on whether it was more the impact or genuine damage to his ankle.

Guimaraes, Newcastle’s skipper, has been in a rich vain of form with eight goals and three assists in 20 Premier League starts so far this season. But the 28-year-old’s purple patch may come to an end, much to the relief of Sunday’s visitors.

Villa, who recently lost Boubacar Kamara to a long-term knee injury and captain John McGinn, also to a knee issue, will be glad if Guimaraes is not named in the starting lineup. Of course, no club would ever wish injury upon an opponent player, but there’s no doubting the task of beating the Magpies would be slightly simpler if Guimaraes isn’t involved.

The player himself has spoken out. Taking to Instagram, Guimaraes wrote: “Mixed feelings! Happy with the team’s great performance and the three points. I hope the injury isn’t too serious and that I can be back on the pitch doing what I love most as soon as possible. Howay the lads 🖤🤍3️⃣9️⃣.”

What Eddie Howe has said

Although there’s yet to be any confirmation that Guimaraes will definitely miss Sunday, Eddie Howe’s early synopsis wasn’t exactly hopeful. The Newcastle head coach admitted Guimaraes has swelling and will have to be closely monitored before a final decision is made.

"Yeah, a little bit sore, it's an ankle problem,” Howe said via our sister publication, Newcastle World. “There’s a little bit of swelling in his ankle. Having just seen him, we hope it's not serious. Difficult to know.

"I think Bruno is the type of player that never wants to come off. He always wants to play, so the fact he has come off is a worry for us. We'll do everything we can to get him fit as quickly as possible."

For those with Guimaraes in their Fantasy Premier League teams, it is worth waiting for a further update from Howe before making any rash decisions to sell him. If Guimaraes is out for several gameweeks, it may be worth pulling the trigger. But until that is confirmed, there is no point in getting rid of an excellent asset.