Bruno Guimaraes leaves the field in tears as top-four hopefuls Newcastle suffer serious injury blow

• Guimaraes rolled ankle early on

• Received two rounds of treatment
• Came off in tears at half-time

WHAT HAPPENED? As the half-time whistle blew at St. James' Park, a desolate Guimaraes had to be consoled by team-mates Joelinton and Sean Longstaff. The Brazilian had rolled his ankle early on in the match, and received two separate rounds of treatment from Newcastle's medical staff. The 25-year-old played on despite being in visible discomfort, and his tears just before the break confirmed he would be taking no further part in proceedings.

Getty

Getty

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Guimaraes' reaction may also suggest the injury is a serious one, with the player seen leaving the game in crutches and a protective boot. While the extent of the injury has not yet been revealed, any long-term absence for their star man would be a hammer blow for Newcastle, whose top-four hopes are very much still alive despite Manchester United's derby day victory on Saturday.

WHAT THEY SAID?: In a tweet after the match, Guimaraes wrote: "Very sad about today's injury, hopeful it's nothing serious and that I can do what I love most as soon as possible."

WHAT NEXT FOR NEWCASTLE? Given the post-match images, it is likely that the Magpies will be without Guimaraes when they travel to Crystal Palace next Saturday, needing nothing less than three points to keep fifth-placed Tottenham at bay.