Barcelona fans got some welcome news today following the Champions League Round of 16 draw — and it didn’t even come from inside the Camp Nou.
Newcastle United, the side drawn to face the Blaugrana over two legs in March, will be heading into what is arguably the biggest game of their season without their most important player. Bruno Guimaraes, the Brazilian powerhouse who captains Eddie Howe’s side and essentially makes them tick in the middle of the park, is injured and almost certainly won’t be available for either leg.
Let that sink in for a moment. This isn’t a squad player or a fringe contributor — Guimaraes has been Newcastle’s heartbeat this season, racking up nine goals and seven assists from 35 appearances across all competitions. He’s the kind of midfielder who makes everyone around him better, and losing him is the sort of blow that changes how an entire team functions.
The injury — a right hamstring problem picked up in Newcastle’s Premier League clash against Tottenham earlier this month — has since sent Guimaraes back to Brazil to continue his recovery. Barring something of a miracle turnaround, he simply won’t be fit in time.
A Growing Injury List
And it’s not just Guimaraes. Newcastle are dealing with a fairly lengthy injury list heading into this tie. Defender Fabian Schar is also sidelined, while Emil Krafth, Tino Livramento, and midfielder Lewis Miley are all out too — though Krafth and Livramento could potentially return in time for the first leg. On the brighter side for Howe, Jacob Ramsey is back in the fold after missing the Qarabag FK fixture.
Still, the absence of Guimaraes looms largest. Barcelona’s midfield — even without Frenkie de Jong, who is set to miss around five weeks with a hamstring injury of his own — should be able to dominate the center of the pitch without the Brazilian there to compete.
What It Means for Barcelona
This is the kind of news that should give Barcelona fans genuine confidence. The two sides have already met once this campaign — a 2-1 Barça win at St. James’ Park, with Marcus Rashford scoring both goals on his debut — and even in that game, Newcastle made life uncomfortable at times. With Guimaraes pulling the strings, they’re a completely different animal.
Without him? Newcastle lose their press resistance, their forward ball-carrying from deep, and the commanding presence that shields their backline. That opens up space that Barcelona’s forwards and creative players will be desperate to exploit.
The first leg takes place on March 10 at St. James’ Park — always a hostile, electric atmosphere — before Barcelona host the second leg at the Spotify Camp Nou on March 18. Even without Guimaraes, this will be no walkover. Eddie Howe is a smart tactician and Newcastle have quality throughout the squad. But right now, the odds have swung even more firmly in Barcelona’s favour.