Newcastle is without Joelinton for PSG game and waiting to see if Bruno Guimarães can play

PARIS (AP) — Newcastle will be without midfielder Joelinton for its Champions League match at Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday but captain Bruno Guimarães could face the defending champion if he passes a fitness test.

Joelinton sustained a groin injury playing against Aston Villa on Sunday and went off early in the second half.

“Joe won’t make the game, he has had a scan,” Newcastle manager Eddie Howe said in a pre-match news conference Tuesday. “We don’t think it is a bad injury, but we think he will be out for a few weeks.”

Guimarães is with the squad.

The influential midfielder was rested for the Villa game after taking a blow to his ankle in the 3-0 home win over PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League last week.

“We’ll know more in the next few hours,” Howe said. “I think we have to learn to play when he (Bruno) is not available.”

A victory at Parc des Princes will send Newcastle into the last 16.

Sixth-placed PSG and seventh-placed Newcastle are level on 13 points in the league phase table. Only the top eight advance directly, with the next 16 teams facing a two-legged playoff to reach the knockout stage.

“The bigger the game, the harder the challenge, the more you must rise to it,” Howe said. “There have been several questions asked about our away form, to handle pressure, to be resilient. This will be a really good game to try and answer some questions.”

PSG’s defense has allowed 10 goals in seven games and goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier was again in the spotlight after conceding a soft late goal in a 2-1 loss at Sporting last Tuesday.

Newcastle’s preparations for Wednesday’s game were mildly disrupted when departure of the team’s flight was delayed by three hours due to severe weather conditions.

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