Newcastle United released new training ground pictures yesterday but midfielder Bruno Guimaraes was not spotted after an injury scare against West Ham.
The Magpies return to action in the Premier League this weekend, visiting the capital for their clash with Crystal Palace, and Eddie Howe will be desperate to get back on track.
Newcastle are now tenth in the league table after suffering a 2-0 defeat to West Ham United on Monday evening at St James’ Park and will be hoping that the result was nothing more than another obstacle to overcome in their quest for European qualification.
The Geordies’ performance in front of their energetic home crowd was less-than-inspiring overall, so they will have to work hard on Saturday afternoon to restore supporters’ faith in their ambitions.
Not only did the players put in a poor shift, both Joe Willock and Bruno Guimaraes retired early from the game with concerns around their fitness, something that Howe addressed in his post-match press conference.
On Willock:
“Joe took a knock to part of his leg and didn’t feel 100 per cent [at half-time].”
On Guimaraes:
“Bruno felt a glute, I believe, but hopefully, [it’s] not a big problem.”
Fresh training ground images released yesterday have put further fear into supporters, as the Brazilian midfielder was not seen in any of the photos uploaded by the club.
Will Bruno Guimaraes start against Crystal Palace?
There is no doubt that Guimaraes has become one of the most loved players on Tyneside, and was deservedly given the captain’s armband this season.
The 27-year-old has been a standout performer for Newcastle throughout his tenure so far and has consistently dominated the defensive midfield role, easily the most relied upon and trusted player in the entire squad.
Losing him to injury during this vulnerable time for the Magpies, given the congested festive schedule ahead, it would be catastrophic for him to be out of action for any period of time.
However, it could give Sandro Tonali the opportunity to finally prove his worth should Guimaraes need some time to recover in the coming days and weeks.
The Italian midfielder was signed due to the concern that Guimaraes would move on to bigger things last summer, however, his loyalty and commitment to the project in the North East has kept Tonali waiting for game time on the bench and now Howe is trying to find other ways to utilise him going forward.
The Newcastle boss will sit down with the media for his pre-match press conference ahead of the trip to Selhurst Park tomorrow and will offer further clarity on both Guimaraes and Willock’s injury status.