Three Newcastle United players are staring at possible suspensions just as the team gears up for Wednesday’s Champions League play-off first leg against Qarabag. Eddie Howe’s squad, who finished 12th in the league phase, head to Azerbaijan hoping to grab an early advantage and get closer to the last 16.

But they’ll have to do it with a patched-up lineup. Bruno Guimaraes, Yoane Wissa, Sven Botman, Lewis Miley, Tino Livramento, Fabian Schar, and Emil Krafth are all out injured. Some of them might be back soon, but for now, the bench is looking thin. The last thing Newcastle needs is to lose even more players to suspension.

Right now, Joelinton, Malick Thiaw, and Dan Burn are all one yellow card away from missing a game. Three yellows before the quarter-finals means you’re out for a match. Joelinton’s been walking that line since the 4-0 win over Union SG; he picked up bookings in both of Newcastle’s first two group games. Thiaw got his yellows against Benfica and Bayer Leverkusen. Burn was cautioned in the opener at home to Barcelona and again away at Marseille.

With a two-legged tie against Qarabag and a possible two-legged Round of 16 still to come before the slate gets wiped clean, these three and a few others need to get through four more matches without another booking if they want to avoid a Champions League ban.

There are a handful of players sitting on a single yellow as well. Another two yellows before the quarter-final, and they’re suspended too. Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali, Aaron Ramsdale, Joe Willock, Anthony Elanga, and Anthony Gordon have all been booked once so far this season in Europe.

For the Qarabag game, Thiaw and Burn are set to start at centre-back since Botman and Schar are both still out. In midfield, Joelinton could slot in with Guimaraes and Miley sidelined.

After missing the last six matches, including Saturday’s win at Aston Villa, Joelinton is finally back, and Howe confirmed he’ll be involved against Qarabag.

“Joelinton’s back in the squad, so that’s a great boost for us,” Howe said before the match. “He’s such an important player, a big presence, a real leader. He trained yesterday and looked really good, so we’re delighted to have him back. No one else from the injury list has travelled from the last game, so we’re still missing quite a few, and some of them are real quality players.

“They’re big losses, but our spirits are high after our last two games. We’ll put out the strongest team we can because this game is massive for us. We’re not looking ahead to the schedule; this one matters on its own.”

Sandro Tonali showed up when Newcastle United needed him most, sending Aston Villa crashing out of the FA Cup.

With Bruno Guimaraes sidelined, everyone wondered who’d step up. Tonali didn’t just fill the gap; he owned it. News broke late the night before that Guimaraes would be out for ten weeks, and you could almost hear the groans from Newcastle fans. They haven’t won a single Premier League match without him this season. It felt like the season might be slipping away.

Newcastle supporters, already battered by years of bad luck and a never-ending injury list, braced for the worst. How would they survive without their midfield heartbeat? But when the pressure was on, Tonali took charge. He smashed in two long-range goals, turning Valentine’s Day into a celebration for the travelling Toon Army.

People have talked plenty about Tonali lately: whispers about his form, transfer rumours, what his agent might be up to, and even frustration after that loss to Manchester City. All of that faded away in 90 minutes. With two clinical strikes, he reminded everyone exactly where his loyalties lie. Sure, there’ll be more rumours before the summer, but right now, Newcastle have a midfielder who can fill the Guimaraes-sized hole.

Thanks to Tonali, everyone talked about Newcastle’s football after the match, not the referee’s blunders. Chris Kavanagh handed out dodgy cards and missed a few big calls, but Newcastle’s win made all that easier to swallow. If they’d lost, you can bet Eddie Howe would’ve had a few words.

But they didn’t lose, and Tonali ended up the hero, sending Newcastle into the FA Cup fifth round. Howe summed it up: “The only way Sandro can answer questions about his form is out on the pitch, and he did exactly that today. We needed players to step up with Bruno out, and all three midfielders did just that. Sandro got two, and Nick grabbed one; our midfielder made a huge difference. We're going to need that until Bruno’s back.”

Speaking of Nick Woltemade, he finally broke his goal drought after 14 games. The 6,000 away fans let him know how much they appreciated it, singing his name long after the final whistle.

Howe praised Woltemade too: “Nick was brilliant in that deeper role, and he deserved his goal. He’s been working hard, learning a new position, and today it paid off. He did the job, on and off the ball, and finished it off with a great goal. I’m really happy for him. Hopefully, this gives him the confidence to keep going and shows him what’s possible for his future here.”