'I don't know' - Newcastle United boss responds to Bruno Guimaraes injury question

Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe believes Bruno Guimaraes has returned to best form in recent weeks after the player himself admitted to having a "low" start to the season.

The Brazilian played a starring role as the Magpies beat both Chelsea and Manchester United in the Premier League last week whilst also being seconds away from recording a famous win in Paris but for Kylian Mbappe's controversial late penalty.

Unfortunately for Newcastle, those three results were followed up with a 3-0 defeat at Everton on Thursday but Eddie Howe's side have the chance to bounce back immediately against Tottenham Hotspur this afternoon (kick-off 4:30pm).

And Guimaraes will need to play a key role with Howe admitting the 26-year-old is the "fulcrum of everything". Since making his full debut in March 2022, United are winless in the six league games the midfielder has missed.

“You need your top players to play really well when you're in a situation like this that we're in at the moment, and I think Bruno has certainly done that," said Howe, who could be without 13 first-team players for the trip to North London.

“I thought Manchester United and Chelsea, were up there with his best performances, and the first half against PSG. I think he was very, very good with the ball, very creative, managed to get himself connected with the players in front of him.

 "But also off the ball, I thought he was really good, physically excellent, pressed really well. He's such an important person to that part of the game for us that is hard work for him physically, but he's able to repeat those physical exertions that we need him to, so I think his game's in a very good place.

"It has to be for us to perform well because he's at the fulcrum of everything really."

Newcastle lost three of their opening four Premier League games at the start of the season and Guimaraes was one of the players under the microscope.

But Howe said: “I never had an issue with him in any game."

He continued: "I think, of course any player’s form fluctuates through the season. You’re never going to get a player performing at the same level all the time. But I think Bruno’s performances in the last few weeks have been probably him at his best.

"We want to see him influencing games, deciding games with his quality and if we can continually feed him with the ball, then he’s got the qualities to open up any defence."

Guimaraes carried an ankle injury during the second half of last season. How debilitating was that?

“I don't know, only Bruno could answer that, really," said Howe. "I was aware in certain games he might twist his ankle again and be sore for a period of time, but then he'd always come back from that and be able to sort of run it off.

“I don't recall him missing many training sessions from it, so I think he's handled that really well."

Indeed, Guimaraes did answer that.

"It's absolutely fine now," said the Brazil international. "Last season I played many many games with pain but nowadays I'm very good. I was playing with pain for three or four months. I came back before I should have to help the team. I have no regrets, it was an incredible season.

"I enjoyed my holidays, I didn't do anything to be honest. My start to the season was low but now I think I'm at my level. "