Newcastle gem must avoid receiving tenth yellow card in seven Premier League games against ban threats

Since January, the Magpies’ Brazilian midfielder has been facing a two-match ban.

Bruno Guimaraes has played 673 minutes for Newcastle United in the Premier League without receiving a yellow card. Since receiving his tenth booking of the season in January, the Magpies’ Brazilian midfielder has been facing a two-match suspension.

That came in the 21st minute of Newcastle’s 3-2 defeat to Manchester City at St James’ Park, and it was his sixth yellow card in a row. Ten bookings result in a two-game penalty, and at that point, a ban seemed nearly likely for the United playmaker.

Bruno is a player that Newcastle United cannot do without. The plain fact is that the Magpies do not win when he is not on the team. He has only missed one game this season, when he was suspended for collecting five yellow cards, and Eddie Howe’s team lost 2-0 against Bournemouth in November.

With European football on the line as the season enters its last ten games, they cannot afford for him to miss two games at this point. Joelinton and Lewis Miley’s injuries, combined with Sandro Tonali’s suspension, have left Howe with few options in midfield for the bulk of the season.

However, he has remarkably avoided receiving his dreaded tenth yellow card in seven Premier League games while maintaining his natural aggression.

The bad news is that he will still have to wait a long before he can breathe easier. Premier League rules require him to avoid a booking for another four games, with the amnesty taking effect in gameweek 33. Newcastle have played 28 games, so if he can get through matches against West Ham, Everton, Fulham, and Tottenham, he will be clear of the threat.

Howe acknowledges that he doesn’t want Guimaraes to change his way. “He has to play that way,” he stated in February. “To provide his greatest performance, he needs to be impassioned and devoted.

“He’ll be irritated by some of the reservations he’s received this year. It is part of the learning process. Yes, he is in a dangerous situation, and we do not want to lose him. Hopefully, he can control his emotions and we can get through this phase.”

He’s done it for seven games and will do so for four more.