What Eddie Howe plans to do with Bruno Guimaraes at Newcastle after his poor start to the season

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Newcastle United have a problem with Bruno Guimaraes.

For the first time in his Newcastle United career, consistent questions are being asked of Bruno Guimaraes and his performances.

The 26-year-old has endured a pretty rotten start to the season. Bruno did well against Southampton on the opening day, but has struggled to excel since then.

He made a major error during Newcastle’s 3-1 defeat to Fulham, with Bruno taking ownership of his mistake on social media after the game.

Now wearing the captain’s armband, Bruno is not playing like the Toon talisman that he has always been since his arrival on Tyneside. He does not look fit enough in the middle of the park, with sharper and stronger teams dominating Newcastle in central areas.

Bruno’s form is a problem, and Eddie Howe needs to find a solution very quickly.

Eddie Howe’s stance on Bruno Guimaraes struggling for Newcastle

However, the solution is unclear. Dropping Bruno is hardly an option, as the Magpies do not really have another midfielder who can play in that ‘number six’ role.

Instead, Howe is going to have to persevere.

According to the Daily Mail, Eddie Howe is of the belief that he needs to keep Bruno in his team to ensure he gets fitter and sharper.

He had a similar attitude towards Anthony Gordon earlier in the season. The Toon winger has also been struggling for sharpness, and Howe admitted he was keeping Gordon on longer in games to help him build up his fitness.

The answer is definitely not dropping Bruno Guimaraes

To remove Bruno Guimaraes from the Newcastle United midfield would be madness.

There is no one else at the club capable of playing the role he does. Sandro Tonali was not brought in as a ‘number six’ – he was brought in to play alongside Bruno and dovetail.

That has to be the eventual solution, but Howe has so far been reluctant to overexpose Tonali. He has started just once for Newcastle since the end of his 10-month ban, while Italy used him for every minute available during the recent international break.

Newcastle are wary about not overloading Tonali, which is understandable after so long without playing. However, there has to come a time he starts and plays alongside Bruno. He can take the pressure off of the Brazilian’s shoulders, and that could go a long way towards helping Bruno recapture his best form.