Eddie Howe confirms Sandro Tonali's availabity for Wolves game

Sandro Tonali has been handed a 10-month ban due to betting

Despite serving a 10-month ban, Eddie Howe believes there is a "rich possibility" Sandro Tonali could start for Newcastle United versus Wolves on Saturday.

On Thursday, it was officially announced that Tonali had been suspended from football for ten months due to violations of Italian wagering laws.

Due to this, he will miss the rest of the present season, the first few weeks of the 2024–25 campaign, and Italy's participation in Euro 2024.

Newcastle United, who spent £55 million to acquire the 23-year-old midfield player from AC Milan this summer, is reportedly considering all of its litigation options to see whether they are eligible for monetary damages.

Sandro Tonali said, in an interview with Italian officials last week, that he had wagered on multiple sporting events, including Milan games.

The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) president, Gabriele Gravina, confirmed Tonali's ban, stating that he would be out of action for ten months and would spend a further eight months in a rehabilitation course.

However, Newcastle United manager Howe has stated that the Premier League team has not yet had "official confirmation" of Tonali's ban and that he will probably be ready for Saturday's match against Wolves.

‘It’s difficult because we haven’t had that official confirmation as a football club yet,’ Howe said on Friday.

‘We’ve heard the news and speculation, 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 [against Wolves]. There have to be a few things that have to happen before the ban is imposed so lets see.

‘I think you saw from the Dortmund game he came on and did really well. He was bright. That’s how he’s trained.

‘From the moment this happened I think his training performances have been very good. That’s the only way I can judge it. His mood is the same, he’s good around the group, he’s good around the training ground.

‘Obviously it is there in the background and I’m sure when he goes home there’s difficult times for him. But from what I can see he’s handling himself in the right way.