Newcastle midfielder Bruno Guimaraes has made a remarkable recovery from the ankle injury that threatened to keep him out for a prolonged period and is set to be involved against Crystal Palace this weekend.
There were fears the Brazilian was looking at months on the sidelines after exiting St James’ Park on crutches following Sunday’s 1-0 win over Fulham. He rolled his ankle in the first half and played on for 25 minutes before leaving the pitch in tears.
Sportsmail revealed on Monday that a subsequent scan had shown no serious damage and there was hope he could be back before the end of the month.
However, we understand Guimaraes has now declared himself fit for Saturday’s tea-time kick-off at Selhurst Park, in what is a major boost for Eddie Howe.
The head coach admits he is ‘light’ on options in midfield, with calf-victim Jonjo Shelvey still three weeks away from a return. Given he plays with three in the middle of the park, another player in that position remains a transfer priority this month.
But Guimaraes being available means Howe and the club will not be panicked in their search for midfield reinforcements.
Ruben Neves of Wolves, Manchester United’s Scott McTominay and Chelsea pair Conor Gallagher and Ruben Loftus-Cheek have all been spoken about.
However, we have been told there is little optimism of rival Premier League clubs doing business with Newcastle this month, especially with regards loan deals. There has been no progress, either, concerning interest in Leicester’s Youri Tielemans.
Meanwhile, Borussia Monchengladbach’s Kouadio Koné, 21, is on the list of potential targets from the continent.