Things could be going from bad to worse as far as Newcastle are concerned in relation to Sandro Tonali’s imminent ban from the game.
The young Italian has become embroiled in a betting scandal that has rocked Italian football, and it’s expected that Tonali will soon know just how long a period he will need to spend out of the game.
It’s a bitter blow for the Magpies who made the player their major summer capture, and who are now expecting to do without his services for around a year.
According to Gazzetta dello Sport, however, the ban could be even longer than that.
The outlet note that the player wants everything in his case finalised before Newcastle take on Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League next Wednesday.
That may or may not be possible but Gazzetta also suggest that the ban will be ‘at least’ 12 months.
Extra months could be added to his time out of the game and the amount will be conditional on Tonali attending meetings and therapy sessions.
For Eddie Howe and the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), it represents a real conundrum.
The club will now be forced to enter the transfer market in January to replace Tonali, but still need to stay within Financial Fair Play guidelines.