Major Newcastle injury blow could hand Chelsea boost for potential trilogy

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Evening Standard

·26 febbraio 2026

Major Newcastle injury blow could hand Chelsea boost for potential trilogy

Magpies star set to miss all three games if domestic rivals drawn together in Champions League last 16

Key absentee: Newcastle boss Eddie Howe is without his influential captain

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Newcastle are set to be without Bruno Guimaraes for both legs of their Champions League last-16 tie - in what could yet prove a huge boost to Chelsea’s chances of reaching the quarter-finals.

The Magpies captain is reportedly expected to return to action in early April following an injury suffered in the win over Tottenham earlier this month.

Chelsea know they will be paired in Friday’s last-16 draw with either holders Paris Saint-Germain or Newcastle, who brushed aside Azerbaijani opponents Qarabag 9-3 on aggregate in the knockout phase play-off round.

If it is an all-English affair, the two sides will meet three times in the space of a week because of a scheduling quirk.

The last-16 first leg would take place on either March 10 or 11 at St James’ Park, then the two sides meet on March 14 in the Premier League at Stamford Bridge, before the second leg back in west London on March 17 or 18.

Bruno Guimaraes would miss all three games due to a left thigh tear. He is currently back in his homeland of Brazil, where he recently spent time at Atletico Mineiro’s training centre in Belo Horizonte as part of his rehabilitation.

The midfielder travelled to Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday for the next stage of his treatment at Botafogo’s facilities, according to ESPN.

Bruno Guimaraes limped off late on during Newcastle’s win over Tottenham

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That is after having met with Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti at the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) headquarters.

Bruno Guimaraes is set to miss Brazil’s friendlies against France and Croatia at the end of March but is not at risk of missing this summer’s World Cup in North America, where he is expected to be a key player for the Selecao.

It has been suggested that the 28-year-old could remain in Brazil for as long as a month to try to speed up his recovery and bring forward a potential return date.

A comeback in early April would see him miss Premier League matches against Everton, Manchester United, Chelsea, Sunderland and possibly Crystal Palace, which could be detrimental to Newcastle’s hopes of qualifying for Europe again next season.

Eddie Howe’s side also meet Manchester City again in the fifth round of the FA Cup in March, with the quarter-finals taking place on April 4.