Newcastle United star facing one-match suspension ahead of Arsenal fixture

Newcastle United midfielder Bruno Guimaraes will start this evening’s Premier League clash at home to Arsenal (kick-off 5:30pm) as he continues to walk a disciplinary tightrope.

In the Magpies’ opening 10 top-flight matches this campaign, Guimaraes has been shown four yellow cards and another before matchday 20 - Liverpool away on December 30 - will result in an automatic one-match suspension.

Since collecting his last booking during the 2-2 draw at West Ham United last month, the Brazilian has avoided cautions against Crystal Palace and Wolverhampton Wanderers but the visit of Mikel Arteta’s title-challenging Gunners today perhaps provides a sterner challenge.

Indeed, Guimaraes will once again need to stay out of the referee’s book if he’s able to appear in next week’s trip to AFC Bournemouth - Newcastle’s final game before the two-week international break.

And Magpies head coach Eddie Howe has already confirmed he won’t be asking the player to change anything about his game in a bid to avoid suspension.

“It’s like any player, reining in [his aggression] maybe not because you take something away from his natural game,” said Howe speaking before the 4-0 win over Crystal Palace. “It’s the bookings that are needless that we want to try and take out of our games.

“The rules now mean there will be more yellow cards so the referees [have] definitely tightened up over the summer in terms of discipline, time-wasting and loads of little things to the game where you can and some of our players have picked up a yellow card for nothing, or perceived nothing.

“The rules now mean there will be more yellow cards so the referees [have] definitely tightened up over the summer in terms of discipline, time-wasting and loads of little things to the game where you can and some of our players have picked up a yellow card for nothing, or perceived nothing.

“More yellow cards means more suspensions so we have to be careful. But certainly, I don’t want to be taking aggression out of anyone’s game, it’s the indiscipline ones that we want to try and eradicate.”

Newcastle have already had one player suspended this season with Anthony Gordon missing the West Ham fixture because of the five-bookings rule.

Behind Gordon and Guimaraes are Kieran Trippier and Sean Longstaff on three yellow cards, Dan Burn on two and Callum Wilson, Dan Burn, Callum Wilson, Fabian Schar, Harvey Barnes, Joelinton, Matt Targett, Miguel Almiron and Sven Botman on one.