Whatever happens to Newcastle United this season, injuries and absences will have played a big part.
While there is some debate as to how much you can attribute some of Newcastle’s failings this season to their injury crisis, there is little doubt Eddie Howe has been working with few players across a number of different competitions.
Though not to write this season off of course, the hope will be that the club avoid such bad luck next time out.
Indeed, they will have Sandro Tonali available to them, which would surely be a major boost. The club’s big summer signing played only 12 games before he was banned from football due to betting breaches.
Tonali certainly showed enough promise during his early few weeks at the club, even if there were sometimes questions as to whether or not he and Bruno Guimaraes could operate in the same midfield.
Hailed for a sterling debut against Aston Villa, there were promising flashes from the Italian international.
So, having him back will be a huge boost. Still, he won’t be ready for the start of the 2024/25 Premier League campaign.
Sandro Tonali: Why Newcastle star will miss first two Premier League games next season
On Friday, it was confirmed by the Premier League themselves that next season will start on Friday 17 August, 2024.
That is a full 90 days after this season finishes but Tonali’s ban will not yet be finished.
When Newcastle confirmed his ban in October, the return date set was Tuesday 27 August, 2024.
Assuming there are no midweek fixtures between the first and second matchdays of next season, the midfielder will miss the opening two rounds of Premier League action before he is available for selection once more.
Sandro Tonali: Big pressure on Newcastle star
Tonali will need to hit the ground running when he returns. While it is promising to hear he is improving his English skills and training well behind the scenes, that is scant consolation after Newcastle paid over £50m to sign him for what he can do on the pitch.
Having missed so much football already, patience will surely be reasonably thin.
Hopefully, he can get back to how he played against Villa on his debut.
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