Newcastle Boss Howe Addresses Looming 10-Month Ban For Tonali Amid Betting Scandal 

Newcastle manager, Eddie Howe expects Sandro Tonali to be available for Newcastle’s match against Borussia Dortmund despite reports he will be banned for 10 months.

Tonali faces a lengthy suspension after being implicated in a betting scandal, alongside Italy team-mates Nicolo Fagioli, who has already been hit with a long ban, and Nicolo Zaniolo. It was reported on Tuesday that the midfielder is set to enter a plea bargain with prosecutors that will see him accept a 10-month ban.

READ ALSO: How Tonali Introduced Me To Illegal Betting Site – Nicolo Fagioli

A 10 month term will be a considerable reduction from Tonali’s initial three year suspension. After the 23-year-old acknowledged to betting on AC Milan games while he was still a player of the club, though he apparently stated he did not gamble in games in which he played, his punishment was anticipated to be more severe than that of Fagioli.

However, the Newcastle boss Howe is not aware of any agreement over the length of Tonali’s absence and is assuming he will be available for Wednesday’s Champions League match.

He told reporters: “As far as I’m aware, I’m expecting him to be available. I will plan like that until told differently. I can’t second guess what will happen. He has trained today and is available.”

“If that’s the case [that UEFA don’t want him involved], you know more than I do. I know very little. I’ve been preparing for the game. So I will wait to hear if anything concrete comes through.”

With four points from their opening two Champions League games, Newcastle will look to keep their perfect record when they host Dortmund.