EDDIE HOWE is still sweating on Bruno Guimaraes being fit to face Aston Villa.
The Brazilian captain, 28, is a massive doubt for Sunday after hobbling off with a swollen ankle during the midweek Champions League win over PSV.
Toon have NEVER won a Premier League game without their talismanic midfielder in ten attempts since his £35m arrival from Lyon in January 2022.
Guimaraes is also the ONLY Newcastle player to score from outside the area this season.
And that has led to his boss laying down the gauntlet to Sandro Tonali and his fellow midfielders to step up and fill the void if he fails to make it.
Howe said: “I wondered how long it would be before that one came up. In terms of working out how to play without him, he is just a very, very good player, (a) very, very talented footballer, (a) very creative footballer. Regardless of where he plays, he has the ability to change games.
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“So, yeah, of course, if we’re without him in any game, you have to come up with a solution, you have to come up with an alternative way of, either to selecting your team or way of playing.
“We’ll try and figure out all avenues if he isn’t available, but we hope he can make it.
“Shooting from distance is something that I’m well aware that the numbers are not very good. For us it’s all dependent on who’s shooting, some are much better than others.
“Sandro, for example, has got a rocket of a right foot and we’re always encouraging him to shoot more than he does because he’s got one of the hardest shots that I’ve seen. But it’s getting him in those positions and getting him feeling comfortable to do that.”
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Howe added: “We hope Bruno’s injury is not serious. The extent of the injury is still unknown, but he was reasonably positive after the game.
“He’s the guy that will never rule anything out, so we’re going to give him every chance for this weekend. Let’s wait and see.
“We’ll always try and make the right decisions as we do with every player, depending on need and circumstances, to protect them long term but also to help the team if they need to play. We’ll try and get that right with Bruno.
“He is a pivotal player. I’ve always said he’s been the match winner for us so many times over the years. He’s an inspirational figure.
“So we need him, but of course we need him fit and available and able to perform to his best level. So we’ll try and make all the calculations and come up with the right decision.”
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