Eddie Howe says that Bruno Guimaraes is playing through ankle problems after struggling against Man City at the Etihad Stadium.
The Brazil star suffered a real whack on his ankle at Wembley during the Carabao Cup final last weekend just weeks after a nasty injury against Fulham which required a week in a protective boot. But as the season reaches boiling point, Howe is keeping an eye on his midfielder.
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Howe must prepare for the next two games without banned midfielder Joelinton who finally hit 10 yellow cards to pick up a suspension. On Bruno's injury and other scrapes at the Etihad, Howe said: "There were a couple of knocks, but I don’t know 100%. I thought Bruno was maybe showing the effects of that knock he had on the ankle last week.
"But I don’t think there’s any long-term problem there, and Joe got a stamp on his foot."
Speaking on Joelinton's suspension, Howe said it was inevitable he would eventually go into the sin bin: "Yeah, that probably was, although desperately disappointed that it was today, given the two games we've got before the international break, that's going to be a long absence for him.
"I thought it was a harsh booking for him and he plays on the edge, he's a fierce competitor, I thought he played very well again today. We're certainly going to miss him."
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