No Bruno Guimaraes, no Newcastle United. A common theme whenever the Magpies have been forced to trudge on without their talismanic midfielder.

He could have easily served a three-game absence, too, had referee Stuart Attwell seen his elbow on Arsenal's Jorginho. As it happened, Guimaraes picked up a yellow card - his fifth of the campaign - and missed the 2-0 defeat at Bournemouth.

Young Lewis Miley was drafted in for his first Premier League start given Newcastle's myriad of injuries. While the 17-year-old was one of United's better players, he was never expected to have the expertise, gravitas and guile Guimaraes brings to the table.

After all, with the Brazilian, we are talking about a potential PS100million talent here, which is rumoured to be the price interested parties would have to pay to snatch him from St James' Park. The Bournemouth loss was pinned on the hectic schedule and crowded treatment table, a point Kieran Trippier keenly pointed out to one travelling supporter.

But there is no denying Guimaraes' suspension played its part. A telling stat is how Newcastle have failed to win any of their eight Premier League games without Bruno Guimaraes in the starting line-up since he made his full debut against Southampton in March 2022.

The most notable of those omissions was in the run-up to the Carabao Cup final last season. With Guimaraes dealt a three-game ban for a challenge on Southampton's Samuel Edozie in the semi-final, he missed three crucial top-flight fixtures.

Draws to West Ham United, and Bournemouth and a defeat to Liverpool placed the Magpies in poor nick before their biggest game in a generation. The fact Newcastle have such a poor record without Guimaraes highlights how important he is to the cause.

He is the fulcrum, the defining cog in Eddie Howe's wheel. But it also reveals a massive problem: overreliance.

The system at Newcastle remains more important than anyone but, if you had to pick one player deemed irreplaceable, it would be the 25-year-old. That dependence was softened somewhat in the summer by Sandro Tonali until he met a 10-month ban for breaching betting regulations.

This is not an armageddon situation as Guimaraes will return against Chelsea, providing he comes through the international break unscathed. But it is something to consider moving forward, both domestically and in Europe or, heaven forbid, another club tries to prise him away.