Newcastle United’s midfielder Sandro Tonali is reportedly facing a 10-month suspension from football. Eddie Howe has refrained from discussing whether the club will seek a replacement for Tonali in the upcoming January transfer window.
The 23-year-old player is currently under investigation by the Italian Prosecutor’s Office and the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) due to allegations of involvement in illegal betting activities. According to reports from the Daily Mail, Tonali’s legal representatives are expected to reach an agreement on a 10-month ban, which would keep him sidelined until August next year. However, he will still be allowed to participate in regular training sessions. Despite this, Eddie Howe has declined to address inquiries about potential replacements, waiting for official confirmation.
In a pre-Champions League match press conference against Borussia Dortmund, for which Tonali remains eligible to play, Howe commented, “It’s a bit premature for that, to be honest. I understand there are numerous rumors circulating, but until we receive concrete information about January and what it entails, we’ll have time to formulate a plan for that moment, but it’s not there yet.”
Since his £52 million transfer from AC Milan, Tonali has made 11 appearances for Newcastle this summer.
During the same press conference on Tuesday, Tonali’s teammate Sean Longstaff was also asked about the situation. He expressed confidence in the team’s ability to cope without Tonali and mentioned the return of Joe Willock. Longstaff said, “I’m confident we can manage without him. We don’t know the outcome yet, but we’ve got Joe Willock returning from injury, Joelinton is fit again, and Elliot Anderson has made significant progress. Additionally, we have the young talent Lewis Miley coming through, whom I greatly admire.”
“The key factor is Willock’s return. I could talk all day about how exceptional he is, and even watching him in training this week, it doesn’t seem like he’s missed a moment. I’m genuinely excited to have him back. We recognize his importance; the team performs at its best when he’s on the field. No one can replicate what he does in terms of his off-the-ball movement and confidence on it. Hopefully, he can showcase his abilities on this stage as well.”
Leave a Reply