Tonali has ‘high chance’ of playing on Saturday despite ban, reveals Howe
- Newcastle midfielder clear to play until Fifa ratifies sanction
- Howe waiting for learn if Tonali can train with team during ban
Newcastle’s manager, Eddie Howe, believes there is “a high chance” that Sandro Tonali will be free to play at Wolves on Saturday despite the £55m midfielder having been banned for 10 months by Italy’s football federation.
This somewhat farcical situation has arisen because Fifa has still to ratify the Italian sanction for Tonali’s breaches of betting regulations before turning it into a worldwide sanction. There is no set timeframe for a process which can take hours or, in theory, weeks. In Newcastle’s case a hiatus periods of a few days is considered most likely.
“I think there’s a high chance Sandro could be available for us at Wolves,” said Howe. “I think there are a few things that have to happen before the ban is imposed. We haven’t heard anything from the Italian authorities at present. We’re in limbo really, waiting for that official confirmation to come through.”
On Thursday night the Italian federation said Tonali had broken a rule that prohibits footballers betting on matches. It added that, in agreement with the federal prosecutor, it was implementing an 18-month disqualification from playing football, with the final eight months commuted to a “therapeutic plan” designed to aid the 23-year-old’s recovery from a gambling addiction.
Depending on when Fifa ratification arrives, Tonali will miss the remainder of this season before returning to Howe’s team in late August or early September next year. Reports in Italy have indicated he will be allowed to train with Newcastle during his suspension but Howe said he did not know” whether such suggestions were accurate. “Sandro’s going to have some really difficult moments ahead,” he said. “And, initially, a lot of attention.”
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Howe said he had “made peace” with the prospect of losing his marquee summer signing from Milan – who has admitted to betting on his former side’s games during his time at San Siro – for a lengthy period. “It shows nobody knows what tomorrow will bring,” he said. “It’s a valuable lesson. It’s a part of life and football. We need a squad robust enough to deal with these things.”