Injury analyst Ben Dinnery has claimed that there is every chance that Newcastle United have Bruno Guimaraes available this weekend.
Eddie Howe’s side return to action this weekend after the international break, making the trip to Fulham on Saturday. The Magpies are currently 10th in the Premier League, winless in the top flight since the opening day of the season, but they could now be able to call upon one of their key players.
Bruno had missed the club’s previous three league games due to a hamstring injury before returning for the 1-1 draw at home to Bournemouth in mid-September.
However, as reported by Craig Hope of the Daily Mail, the Brazilian was suffering from ‘tightness in his thigh’ while on international duty and was forced to return home early.
The journalist did stress that there was hope that the 24-year-old would be ‘fine’ for the trip to Fulham this weekend, and Dinnery believes that the £40m man could well feature at Craven Cottage.
Bruno in line for weekend comeback
Speaking about Bruno to Football Insider, the injury analyst said: “We know he has just returned from a hamstring injury. When he went away on international duty and it was reported that he has picked up another thigh injury, the fear is that it was a recurrence of that. That would mean another lengthy spell on the sidelines.
“But thankfully that doesn’t appear to be the case. There was some suggestion that he could have been on the bench against Ghana, but he wasn’t. They were two non-competitive games, so there was no need to take that risk unnecessarily.
“He’ll return to Tyneside and will be working individually in the gym. There is a good chance he could feature against Fulham at the weekend.
“Thankfully, it doesn’t appear to be a hamstring. There is a little bit of swelling in that thigh, but nothing too serious.
“He will be one of all the Newcastle players that I would be most optimistic about recovering and playing a part.”
Boost for Eddie Howe
With The Telegraph reporting that £63m club-record signing Alexander Isak is set for ‘several weeks’ on the sidelines after returning from international duty with Sweden, having Bruno available will be welcome news for Howe.
The Olympic gold medalist scored five goals in 17 games for Newcastle last term and posted a 7.25 SofaScore rating for the season, ranking second among his team-mates.
He ranks in the 99th percentile among positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues for tackles per 90 minutes while also ranking in the top 7% for expected assists per 90 (FBref), demonstrating his ability to work hard for the team out of possession while also making good use of the ball when he gets it.
With Allan Saint-Maximin still a doubt for the trip to west London, Newcastle’s preparations have been disrupted somewhat, but Bruno’s return to fitness may offer a sense of reprieve for supporters.
