The Magpies will look to return to winning ways on Wednesday against Spanish side Athletic Bilbao
Newcastle United player Kieran Trippier in action during training ahead of their UEFA Champions League match against Athletic Club
Newcastle United player Kieran Trippier in action during training ahead of their UEFA Champions League match against Athletic Club
View Image
Newcastle United are sweating on the fitness of Bruno Guimaraes after he was missing from the club's open training session ahead of the Champions League clash against Athletic Bilbao.
According to Sky Sports, who were part of the broadcast media invited to the club's Benton training base, Guimaraes was training inside on his own after suffering from illness, but there is hope he will be available for tomorrow's game.
But the Magpies have also been handed a major fitness boost as Kieran Trippier took part in the session.
The 35-year-old missed Sunday's 3-1 defeat to West Ham United in the Premier League through illness and Emil Krafth struggled in his absence before being replaced at half-time.
Speaking after that defeat, Howe said of the right-back situation: "We were looking for a solution to try and make the team perform better in that position.
"We knew going into the game it wouldn't be easy because Kieran's got such brilliant strengths that when he's missing, we miss them and he would have helped us but he wasn't here and we needed to find a different way.
Content Image
Content Image
"Of course, we're missing Tino [Livramento] as well, two big players. So, yeah, that's why I did what I did.”
With Newcastle's other right-back options Tino Livramento and Harrison Ashby out through injury, it could have left them with a bit of a crisis ahead of welcoming the Spanish side to St James' Park.
But Trippier has been pictured back involved with the group, suggesting he will be fit to play on Wednesday evening.
Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe will face the media at 4:30pm this afternoon where he will deliver a clearer update on the pair's fitness.
He will also deliver an update on the fitness of long term absentees Livramento and Yoane Wissa, as well as Lewis Hall's situation after he returned to the bench against West Ham and Anthony Gordon who had a small hip complaint at the weekend.
Here at ChronicleLive, we are dedicated to bringing you the best Newcastle United coverage and analysis.
Make sure you don't miss out on the latest NUFC news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe.
You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day's biggest stories.
And, finally, if you would rather listen to our expert analysis then make sure to check out our Everything is Black and White podcast. Our shows are available on all podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and you can also watch along on YouTube.