Newcastle boss Howe hopes ankle injury to ‘tearful’ Bruno Guimaraes is not ‘long term’

NEWCASTLE: Eddie Howe said that Newcastle United will assess the damage done to star man Bruno Guimaraes’ ankle before making any January transfer replacement decisions.

The Brazilian midfielder limped off at halftime in the Magpies’ late 1-0 win over Fulham, a victory that maintains their charge towards Champions League football.

Substitute Alexander Isak got the only goal on Sunday at St James’ Park.

Guimaraes was visibly upset during his walk off the pitch at the break after turning his ankle midway through the first half.

And United’s head coach revealed there is some concern about the condition of the 25-year-old, particularly with a Carabao Cup semi-final double-header against Southampton on the horizon.

“He was (in distress), and he was after the game,” Howe said.

“He’s worried about his ankle; it was a twist. He felt he could carry on until the end of the first half when he signaled to come off. Never a good sign from our perspective.

“We’ll get it scanned and see what the damage is. We hope it’s not long term but at this moment in time, we don’t know.”

Guimaraes took to social media after the match to express his disappointment at suffering the injury.

He tweeted: “Very sad about today’s injury, hopeful it’s nothing serious and that I can do what I love most as soon as possible.”

United were already looking for a midfielder to complement their current crop during the January transfer window, but the injury to Guimaraes, as well as youngster Elliot Anderson, may well hasten the need for recruits.

Howe said: “I’ll first assess the injury. We are light in midfield, there’s no doubt about that. Today we were missing Elliot as well, who’s another player who can play in there, with — we think — a minor