Bruno Guimaraes' unthinkable promise to Newcastle United after training ground meeting

Newcastle United midfielder Bruno Guimaraes can sleep a little easier knowing he has avoided a two-match Premier League ban.

The Brazilian has been on nine yellow cards since the 3-2 defeat against Manchester City on January 14. If a player reaches 10 cautions before their club’s 32nd fixture, they will serve a two-match suspension.

With 11 games to play, it seemed inevitable Guimaraes would be punished but the 26-year-old has stayed true to his word following a meeting with Eddie Howe.

“A big relief, for him and for us,” Howe told NewcastleWorld after his side 4-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur. “We had a meeting a long time ago and he promised me he wouldn’t get booked, and I didn’t believe a word of it to be honest!

“Because we had so many games to go and his style of play is what it is, I didn’t think he could control that in the moments he needed to. But an amazing thing he’s done for the team because he knew if we lost him we’d be even more depleted. As you saw today, it is so important to us.”

Guimaraes was substituted in stoppage time against Spurs with Howe fearful of a late yellow card.

The former Lyon midfielder got involved in a spat with Giovani Lo Celso and Cristian Romero, where he taunted the Argentina pair over the scoreline. With arguments continuing after the full-time whistle, Guimaraes had to be pulled away by his teammates

“I thought the ironic thing was he’d get booked after the game which I could not believe so we had to calm him,” Howe added. The midfielder played a major role in Newcastle’s win versus Tottenham, playing a part in both of Alexander Isak’s goals. Anthony Gordon and Fabian Schar were also on the scoresheet as Howe’s men moved up to sixth in the Premier League table.