Newcastle United handed double boost because of Premier League rule ahead of Crystal Palace clash

Bruno Guimaraes will not have to serve a suspension if he picks up a yellow card during Newcastle United’s clash away to Crystal Palace on Wednesday night.

The Brazilian had been walking dangerously close to an automatic two-match ban after picking up his ninth Premier League yellow card of the campaign in the Magpies’ 3-2 defeat to Manchester City on January 13.

Fully aware of his disciplinary situation, Guimaraes has impressively gone 11 consecutive games without being booked. And fortunately for the 26-year-old, he is no longer at immediate risk of being suspended.

As per Premier League rules, a player who has been yellow carded 10 times either before or during their club’s 32nd league fixture is forced a two-match suspension.

The recent 4-0 win over Champions League-chasing Tottenham Hotspur was Newcastle’s 32nd match, meaning the rule no longer applies. The threshold now increases to 15 bookings in 38 games, which results in a three-match ban.

Speaking recently about Guimaraes avoiding a ban, United boss Eddie Howe said: “A big relief, for him and for us,” Howe told NewcastleWorld . “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.”

Behind Guimaraes, Anthony Gordon had also run the risk of a two-match ban having been on eight yellows.

Newcastle head into the remaining six games looking to secure European qualification for the second successive year.

Howe’s men currently sit sixth in the table on goal difference ahead of Manchester United, who host relegation threatened Sheffield United on the same night the Magpies visit Palace.