Sandro Tonali, targeted by an investigation into illicit sports betting, is “available” to play with Newcastle, coach Eddie Howe said on Friday, assuring that the club would “protect” the young Italian and “try to give all the support which he needs. As a football club, we will immediately embrace him, protect him, try to give him love to find solutions to the problems he has had,” Howe said at a press conference on the eve of face Crystal Palace on Saturday.
The manager does not rule out fielding the 23-year-old midfielder, who was excluded from the Italian team gathering during the international break after being questioned by the police for possible illicit sports betting. “From what I have seen, he manages his emotions in an incredibly strong way” but “inside, I am sure there is a lot going on,” commented the coach who, on Saturday, will choose an eleven starting “trying to make the best decision for the team”.
Howe said he heard the news through Dan Ashworth, a club official who called him during the international break. “It was a total surprise for me, for him, for everyone,” he said. “My first instinct was to make sure Sandro was okay. Footballers are human beings, it is a mistake to consider them otherwise. They have, like us all, vulnerabilities, weaknesses” and “the main thing is to identify them” and then try to “help them reach the best possible level on the football field”, he added . Supporting him is “absolutely crucial”, he summarized. “It’s very easy to forget how young he is. He had changes in his life, leaving Italy to come to England. It’s hard enough to deal with and now he has this situation to face, he noted.
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