Bruno Guimaraes is showing signs of a potential return to action for Newcastle United after missing 11 games across all competitions. The Brazilian midfielder was recently affected by mumps, a highly infectious illness that required him to isolate for a period. He first noticed symptoms after returning from a Champions League match against Barcelona, where he experienced facial swelling.
Prior to this, a hamstring injury had already kept him out of Brazil’s friendlies against France and Croatia, limiting his appearances since the game against Tottenham Hotspur on February 10. Guimaraes had been working on recovering from that injury and even joined Eddie Howe’s squad for the Champions League round-of-16 clash in Barcelona.
The 28-year-old has now been sidelined for nearly three months but appears to be making progress. On Easter Monday, he shared a post on Instagram featuring himself in boots, suggesting he may have resumed training.
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe confirmed last month that Guimaraes was working hard to regain his fitness. “He has been working incredibly hard on his recovery,” Howe said. “I’d like to think that, by the time the international break has ended, he will be back ready for us.”
Guimaraes took a trip to Brazil during the break to complete the initial phase of his rehabilitation before returning to Tyneside. Despite not being called up by Carlo Ancelotti for the national team, he is still expected to feature in the World Cup this summer.
Away from the pitch, Guimaraes has remained in the spotlight due to speculation about a potential move. Links with Manchester United have intensified, especially if Newcastle fail to qualify for the Champions League. The club is currently 12 points behind the top four, raising concerns about their European ambitions.
Howe addressed the transfer rumors directly, dismissing any suggestions of a move. “I don’t even know how to respond to that. I don’t even think I should because it’s a waste of my energy. I’m not going to be impolite because I don’t think it’s the forum to do that in. For me, it is a nonsense story.
“Bruno’s our captain, he’s fully committed. He’s injured at the moment, his only focus is coming back to fitness. For me, it is not the time to think about it. In the summer, you can understand those stories a little bit more because the transfer window is open.
“To say our captain is in discussions with another club is totally disrespectful to Bruno more than anything else. He is totally committed here.”
