Why Newcastle United withdrew Bruno Guimaraes early against Bournemouth

Bruno Guimaraes made his Newcastle United comeback against Bournemouth following a three-game absence.

The 24-year-old was immediately recalled to the starting XI after recovering from a hamstring problem, which kept him out against Wolves, Liverpool and Crystal Palace.

And while Guimaraes returned to face the Cherries, the Brazilian did not complete the full 90 minutes after being substituted for Sean Longstaff on 71 minutes.

Why Bruno Guimaraes was substituted

Guimaraes’ early withdrawal shouldn’t be a concern however, with head coach Eddie Howe confirming it was pre-planned.

“(It was) great to see Bruno back, we had to manage his game time today,” Howe admitted. “We were planning on taking him off after 60 minutes but we left him on a little longer than that.

“We knew we’d be going into dangerous ground if we continued to leave him on the pitch. That was pre-meditated, really.

“He’s done minimal training in the build-up to the game.”

While Howe welcomed back Guimaraes, the 44-year-old remained without Allan Saint-Maximin and Callum Wilson.

Both players were again missed as Newcastle were held to a frustrating 1-1 draw by the South Coast outfit.

Alexander Isak’s penalty rescued a point for Howe’s side after falling behind to Philip Billing’s goal.

“There is a massive hole for someone like Maxi in a game like today when you’re playing against a stubborn opponent and you need a bit of magic to unlock the door,” Howe said.”Whether that’s just beating two or three players in one moment like he does. You really see his absence.

“Callum is an outstanding goalscorer, they are two huge players for us.”