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Bruno Guimaraes is a major doubt for Newcastle's crunch clash with Aston Villa on Sunday - with Eddie Howe admitting he faces a race against time to prove his fitness.

The Toon talisman left the field in agony on Wednesday night during Newcastle's 3-0 win over PSV Eindhoven, withdrawing from the action in the first half. The Brazilian is believed to have told the Toon bench that the pain was "immense" before making his way down the tunnel.

However, the Magpies skipper is desperate to play through the pain, starting with the meeting with Unai Emery's men this weekend. He doesn't want to miss any games, but Howe admits he will take the decision out of the Brazilian's hands.

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Speaking on Friday, Howe said: "We hope it is not serious; extent of the injury is still unknown, he was reasonably positive after the game; he is the guy that will never rule anything out, we are going to give him every chance for this weekend. We will try and make the right decision with Bruno; he is a pivotal player."

He added: "We will always try to make the right decision. To protect the long-term. We will try to do that with Bruno. He is a match-winner and an inspiration, so we need him.

"We will make all the calculations and come to the right decision."

Injuries are a concern for Howe right now, with Dan Burn and Jacob Murphy doubts this weekend too, while Fabian Schar, Emil Krafth and Jamaal Lascelles are long-term issues.

PSR rules are stopping him from bringing in more than one player this month, and he has already admitted that defensive injuries mean he is only likely to bring in back-up centre-back.

When asked about his mood, as other Premier League sides spend freely, Howe said: "I am not panicking. That is the worst thing you can do in the transfer market - make rash decisions. We have our strategy.

"PSR is controlling what we are able to do. I think we understand that gives us limited room to manoeuvre to try to bring a player in that's good enough to elevate the group and have a long-term future at the football club with the finances we have.

"It is very, very difficult so let's see what happens in the last few days. Anything can happen from this point onwards, but certainly we will try not to panic and find the right balance."

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