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Eddie Howe says Newcastle need Bruno Guimaraes to be at his best for his team to tick.<\/p>\n
The 26-year-old Brazil international has hit top form in recent weeks after battling his way through a persistent ankle injury which hampered him for several months, and at times prevented him from reaching the heights of his first few months in England.<\/p>\n
However, he was one of the Magpies\u2019 star performers in their Premier League victories over Chelsea and Manchester United either side of a 1-1 Champions League draw at Paris St Germain in which he also excelled, and his return to that level could hardly have been better timed for head coach Howe as he contends with an ongoing selection crisis.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cYou need your top players to play really well when you\u2019re in a situation like this that we\u2019re in at the moment, and I think Bruno has certainly done that.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought Manchester United and Chelsea, were up there with his best performances, and the first half against PSG.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think he was very, very good with the ball, very creative, managed to get himself connected with the players in front of him. But also off the ball, I thought he was really good, physically excellent, pressed really well.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s such an important person to that part of the game for us that it is hard work for him physically, but he\u2019s able to repeat those physical exertions that we need him to, so I think his game\u2019s in a very good place.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt has to be for us to perform well because he\u2019s at the fulcrum of everything really.\u201d<\/p>\n
Guimaraes arrived at St James\u2019 Park in a \u00a335million switch from French side Lyon in January 2022 and, having been eased into the team, he endeared himself to his manager, team-mates and the club\u2019s fans alike with a series of high-quality individual displays which inspired those around him amid a remarkable drive to safety.<\/p>\n
However, he left Fulham in January on crutches and wearing a protective boot after damaging his ankle, and despite a swift recovery initially, it was a problem which recurred repeatedly over several months and his form suffered as a result.<\/p>\n
Asked how debilitating that injury was, Howe said: \u201cI don\u2019t know, only Bruno could answer that, really.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was aware in certain games he might twist his ankle again and be sore for a period of time, but then he\u2019d always come back from that and be able to sort of run it off.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t recall him missing many training sessions from it, so I think he\u2019s handled that really well.\u201d<\/p>\n
He\u2019s got the qualities to open up any defence<\/p>\n
Guimaraes will hope to continue in his rich vein at Tottenham on Sunday, with the Magpies looking to bounce back from Thursday night\u2019s 3-0 defeat at Everton, and Howe is looking for even more from him.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cWe want to see him influencing games, deciding games with his quality and if we can continually feed him with the ball, then he\u2019s got the qualities to open up any defence.\u201d<\/p>\n