Tonali was hit with more charges while serving an existing ban (Picture: Getty)
Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe is hopeful Sandro Tonali will avoid an extended ban after being charged by the Football Association for further betting breaches.
On Thursday, the FA announced the Italy international was being charged with misconduct in relation to betting breaches, having allegedly placed 50 football bets between the dates of 12 August and 12 October last year.
The 23-year-old is already serving a 10-month suspension for betting offences while playing in Italy for AC Milan. That ban will end on 24 August 2024.
Reports suggest Newcastle are confident Tonali will avoid seeing his ban from football extended, believing a punishment that runs concurrently and retrospectively alongside his existing one is the more likely outcome.
Speaking on Friday, Howe admitted he does not know what the future holds for Tonali but believes his midfielder has already ‘suffered enough’.
‘It was no surprise to us,’ Howe said. ‘Sandro from day one cooperated and was very honest with us, the club, and the authorities, what he has done and what happened.
‘It was no surprise and we have been supporting him through this process.
Tonali will not be eligible to play until the end of August (Picture: Getty)
‘We don’t know [if the ban will be extended] is the honest answer. I certainly hope for Sandro that there is no further consequences.
‘He has suffered during this period, he’s seeked help, he’s been very honest, admitted he has an issue and the best thing for Sandro would be to resume his career having taken his punishment and learned a lot of lesson.
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‘You can’t quantify how much we’ve missed him this season.
‘It’s been frustrating beyond belief. If that ban was extended, we would still be feeling that pain and so would Sandro. He wants to play football.’
Tonali joined the Magpies on a five-year deal in July for a fee of £55m. He featured in 12 games for the club before being suspended.