‘The best we’ve seen’… Eddie Howe says 23-year-old Newcastle player is looking better than ever in training

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Eddie Howe has named one Newcastle United player who has looked really good in training ahead of Chelsea. The only issue is he can’t play against the Blues. In fact, he can’t play again until August 2024.

The man in question is Sandro Tonali, who is currently banned from playing until the start of next season after being investigated by the Italian Football Federation for betting.

It has been such a blow to lose Tonali. Given all of our injury woes, it is agonising to know that the 23-year-old is fully fit but unable to play.

But while he is banned from playing, he is not banned from training. That has been a huge boost to Newcastle and Tonali, and the midfielder has received a huge amount of praise from his manager Eddie Howe.

Eddie Howe really pleased with Sandro Tonali

Ahead of Newcastle’s game against Chelsea, Howe spoke to the media. He delivered an update on Sandro Tonali, hailing the Italian for how well he has been performing in training.

“Sandro has been training very well, which makes it even more frustrating that we can’t use him,” he told Sky Sports reporter Keith Downie.

“It’s probably the best we’ve seen him train.

“He’s coping very well with the situation I’d say, it’s a hallmark of his character.”

Tonali is going to return better than ever for Newcastle

While it is sad that Tonali is unavailable, it is great to hear that he is applying himself on the training ground. It is all he can do, as he continues counting down the days until his return.

It is still a long way away, but Tonali should return in brilliant shape, and absolutely determined to make up for lost time.

Howe believes that the former AC Milan is handling the situation well, which is fantastic news given all of the upheaval.

As for Newcastle, they continue to support Tonali while they search for a replacement in January. The Magpies need another body in midfield, which led to links with Ruben Neves.

However, talk of a move for Neves has recently angered Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher, who has suggested that the Magpies must pay for their mistake of signing Tonali rather than bring in a replacement from a club that is also owned by PIF.