Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe has indicated that there is a strong possibility that midfielder Sandro Tonali will be available to play in the upcoming match against Wolves on Saturday, despite the player receiving a 10-month ban from football.
The 23-year-old, who joined Newcastle from AC Milan during the summer, was banned by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) due to a breach of betting rules. However, as of now, Newcastle has not received official confirmation of the ban, and it has not been ratified by Uefa and Fifa.
According to the FIGC’s statement, Tonali agreed to an 18-month suspension, with eight months of that period dedicated to a “therapeutic plan” aimed at aiding his recovery from gambling addiction. As a result, his on-pitch ban will last for 10 months.
Eddie Howe mentioned on Friday, ahead of the game against Wolves, “It’s difficult because we haven’t had that official confirmation as a football club yet. We’ve heard the news and speculation statement, but we haven’t had anything from the Italian authorities at the moment, so we’re in limbo, really, waiting for that official confirmation to come through. I think there’s a high chance he could be available for us. There have to be a few things that have to happen before the ban is imposed, so let’s see.”
Howe also noted that Newcastle was unaware of the potential betting breaches when they signed Tonali. The club has been linked with a loan move for former Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves, who transferred to Al-Hilal for £47 million in the summer. Both Newcastle and Al-Hilal are majority-owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.
Howe explained, “You make a decision at the time with the knowledge you have. We really liked him as a footballer and had no idea that this was even a possibility. Of course, there’s a frustration and a disappointment that we’re not going to have a quality player for a period of time. It shows nobody knows what tomorrow will bring. It is a valuable lesson. We need a squad robust enough to deal with these things. It is part of life and football.”