Newcastle United will be without Bruno Guimaraes against Bournemouth this weekend due to an injury.
After picking up his fifth booking of the season against Arsenal, the 25-year-old is suspended for the Magpies’ trip to the south coast. In reality, he was fortunate not to be sent off against the Gunners.
Newcastle will be without their midfield talisman for the first time this season. Bruno is the engine that drives the Magpies, but he will not be in charge at the Vitality Stadium.
Eddie Howe will instead have to make a change in his midfield. However, his options are limited, which could result in 17-year-old Lewis Miley making his Premier League debut.
Lewis Miley should replace Bruno Guimaraes against Bournemouth
Miley has returned from illness and became Newcastle’s youngest ever Champions League player when he came on for the final 10 minutes of the defeat to Borussia Dortmund.
He played in the number six position, which could indicate that he will make his debut on Saturday evening.
Bruno usually plays there, and the Magpies don’t have a direct replacement. Sean Longstaff has done it before, but he is much more at ease on the right side of the midfield trio.
Furthermore, Howe does not have many options. In addition to Bruno, Elliot Anderson and Sandro Tonali are both suspended. Newcastle are also struggling for options in attack, which could result in Joelinton having to play in a more advanced role.
That would mean Miley coming into the midfield and starting alongside Longstaff and Joe Willock.
He is Newcastle’s best option on Saturday
The only other option is for Matt Ritchie to enter the game. The 34-year-old was ineligible to play in the Champions League, but he can face his former club. He could start in attack, as he did against Manchester United in the Carabao Cup, relieving Joelinton of the need to play on the wing.
However, starting Miley is the best option. He proved himself against strong opposition in pre-season and is more than capable of holding his own against a Bournemouth side that has had a difficult start to the season.
Sean Longstaff has described Miley as a ‘little superstar’ in Newcastle’s academy. The sky is the limit for the teenager, who is destined to become a regular in the Premier League for the Magpies in the future.
By the end of his career, he will have started numerous Premier League games, but I believe his first will be against Bournemouth on Saturday.
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