There was a huge wave of relief that swept over Tyneside today as the reports from Bruno Guimaraes’ ankle scan were more positive than expected.
Bruno Guimaraes left the field in tears at halftime on Sunday as Newcastle saw off an impressive challenge from Fulham with a 1-0 win at St James’ Park.
At around the twenty-minute mark, Bruno went to ground after rolling his ankle. Replays showed the extent to which his foot rolled under his leg as Guimaraes lay on the floor in agony. After some magic spray was applied he got up and returned to action, moving gingerly around the park. Then in a move of questionable morality, Nick Pope had himself a wee sit down feigning a need for attention while Bruno went off to the side to neck a couple of painkillers and get some heavy strapping around his ankle.
The Brazilian then continued to play on for the remainder of the first half. Early signs looked good as he shook off the limp and was starting to look more comfortable, but as the half time whistle blew, it was apparent that he couldn’t continue as he signalled to the bench his game was over. His fellow Brazilian, Joelinton put his arm around Bruno as he broke down in tears as he left the field.
Newcastle fans have been holding their breath ever since, especially after seeing images of Bruno on crutches with a moon boot on, but after having had his scan today, it’s believed the injury will only keep him out for weeks not months. Reports vary on a return with the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final seemingly set as a benchmark with some places reporting he may be fit and others saying it may be too soon. Whichever it is, it’s a lot closer than I expected after seeing those replays.
I’ll err on the side of caution and go with TalkSPORT’s assessment that the Southampton game will likely be too soon. We know that Howe doesn’t like to rush players back if he can help it.
The Vital Football Podcast Was Live During The First Half Of The Match – We Talked About Gareth Bale, Roberto Martinez And Shock FA Cup Exits. And Created Our Premier League Select XI