Newcastle unlikely to have Bruno Guimaraes back in time for FA Cup clash

Newcastle unlikely to have Bruno Guimaraes back in time for FA Cup clash

Bruno Guimaraes and Lewis Miley will miss Saturday's FA Cup fourth-round tie, dealing Eddie Howe a significant double blow as Newcastle prepare to face Aston Villa at Villa Park.

Newcastle head into the clash having ended a run of three straight defeats with a 2-1 away win over Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday night. That losing sequence included a 2-0 Premier League loss to Villa at St James' Park last month.

Captain Guimaraes was forced off late against Spurs with a suspected hamstring injury, having only recently returned from an ankle problem that ruled him out of the previous meeting with Villa.

"I'm not sure, [Guimaraes] is a little bit worried. I think that he's not sure [because] he said he's never had a problem with his hamstrings before, so is it cramp? Was it a muscle problem?

"Probably feels more of an injury to me, but let's wait and see."

Howe is expected to provide a further update in his pre-match press conference, with the Brazilian also a doubt for next Wednesday's Champions League fixture against Qarabag FK in Baku.

Teenage midfielder Miley has not featured since the 1-1 Champions League draw away to Paris Saint-Germain and has missed the last four matches.

Initially described as a knee issue, Howe has since clarified the problem as a 'nasty' dead leg, with the 19-year-old expected to be sidelined for at least three weeks.

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