Sandro Tonali returned to the Newcastle United starting eleven in the Champions League match against Barcelona.
The midfielder having missed the away victory at Chelsea through illness.
Sandro Tonali playing his part in very good United first half performance that was let down by defensive errors.
An end to end opening 45 minutes where Newcastle could and probably should have led, then in added time they actually fell behind to an added time penalty.
Newcastle United then conceded early in the second half and not long after, Sandro Tonali forced off through injury.
The midfielder doing well to win the ball in the penalty area and as he did so he was clearly fouled by the Barcelona player who kicked the opponent and not the ball. It kind of summed up the night, as Sandro Tonali had to be replaced by Joe Willock AND Barcelona scored from the corner, a corner that should never have been given as it was a clear free-kick to Newcastle United for the foul on Tonali.
Asked about the Sandro Tonali situation and whether he would be fit for Sunderland on Sunday, Eddie Howe said after the match: “I think he felt something in and around his groin area, so that could be a problem for us. I would say he is a doubt [for the Sunderland match]. I thought he performed really well in the first half and we really missed him in that second period.”
The Sandro Tonali situation has made plenty of headlines in Italy as well. Next Thursday (26 March), Italy have their World Cup play-off semi-final against Northern Ireland, then if getting through that, they will face Wales or Bosnia-Herzegovina for a place at the 2026 World Cup finals.
Gazzetta Dello Sport have reported that Sandro Tonali has an MRI scan scheduled for today (Thursday 19 March) to determine the extent of the injury. The Sunderland match only three days away and then Italy playing in seven days’ time, then potentially a huge game only five days after that.
The Italian media report stating: ‘The national team is holding its breath over Sandro Tonali’s condition. Tonali was clearly expected to be a starting player for Gattuso’s national team, which is aiming to return to the World Cup for the first time since 2014. In Bergamo, on March 26, the Azzurri will host Northern Ireland. If they win, they will travel to face Wales or Bosnia-Herzegovina five days later. The winner of the play-off will advance to a World Cup group with co-hosts Canada, Switzerland, and Qatar.’