Bruno Guimaraes' comeback was halted after being struck down with the highly infectious disease mumps
Bruno Guimaraes before a Newcastle United match
Bruno Guimaraes was struck down with mumps but the Newcastle midfielder has given an update(Image: Newcastle United via Getty Images)
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Newcastle United midfielder Bruno Guimaraes has ended his isolation period after being struck down by the highly-infectious illness mumps.
The Magpies star did not attend Sunday's 2-1 defeat at home to rivals Sunderland after he was forced to stay away from the first-team picture in order to fully recover. Guimaraes noticed that he was beginning to feel unwell after returning from last week's Champions League encounter with Barcelona when his face was swollen.
With the international break now underway and Newcastle not in action until the visit of Crystal Palace on April 12, the Brazilian will continue his recovery. In a post on Instagram on Monday, he posted a picture resting with his feet up and some foot while watching Netflix with the caption: "Last day of my isolation [praying emoji]."
Bruno Guimaraes shares an update on Instagram
Bruno Guimaraes shares an update on Instagram
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Mumps is a viral infection primarily recognised by painful swelling in the cheeks and neck caused by swollen parotid glands. These symptoms often make it difficult for patients to chew, swallow, or speak comfortably.
The 28-year-old initially sparked fear when he revealed the worrying diagnosis on Sunday amid the game against Sunderland. He said: "The only reason I'm not at the stadium in Newcastle is that after our flight back from Barcelona, I noticed my face was swollen and thought I was having an allergic reaction.
"But the next day when I woke up, I realized it was much more than that. I sent a photo to the doctor and he came to examine me.
"It was confirmed that I have mumps, and I need to remain in isolation for five days and stay away from physical activities for a bit longer.
"My focus now is to recover and be 100% as soon as possible."
Guimaraes has been recovering from a hamstring injury that has restricted his involvement since the encounter with Tottenham Hotspur on February 10. The midfielder had been on the comeback trail from the injury and travelled with Eddie Howe's side to face the Catalan giants in the Round of 16.
Despite being out of action, the former Lyon star hasn't been out of the headlines with speculation ramping up over a possible exit with Manchester United linked. Guimaraes has been linked with a St James' Park exit should Newcastle fail to qualify for the Champions League given they currently sit 12 points off the top four.
However, Newcastle boss Eddie Howe moved to shoot down the speculation. He said: "I don't even know how to respond to that. I don't even think I should because it's a waste of my energy.
"I'm not going to be impolite because I don't think it's the forum to do that in. For me it's a nonsense story. "Bruno's our captain, he's fully committed. He's injured at the moment, his only focus is coming back to fitness.
"For me, it is not the time to think about it. In the summer, you can understand those stories a little bit more because the transfer window is open. "To say our captain is in discussions with another club is totally disrespectful to Bruno more than anything else. He is totally committed here."
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