LONDON – Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe said the Football Association’s decision to charge Sandro Tonali over alleged betting breaches came as no surprise to the club and he hopes the midfielder escapes further punishment.

Tonali, who is already serving a 10-month ban from the Italian Football Federation over betting breaches when he was playing in Serie A, was charged by the FA on March 28 for allegedly breaking its rules 50 times by placing bets on matches between Aug 12 and Oct 12, 2023.

Newcastle signed Tonali in July 2023 for a reported fee of €70 million (S$101.9 million) – making him the most expensive Italian player in history.

Yet, he was told in October that he was involved in an investigation by prosecutors in Italy and was banned two weeks later, effectively ending his debut season with Newcastle.

The 23-year-old made eight league appearances this season, scoring one goal. His agent had said he was suffering from a gambling addiction.

“It (the FA charge) was no surprise to us. It may have been externally, but we’ve been supporting him through this process,” said Howe.

“Sandro from day one was very honest with the club, the authorities about what he had done and the issues he had.”

The Newcastle boss added: “He is seeking help on a regular basis. This is something which won’t go away for him, so he has regular meetings in Italy and England to deal with the problems he has.”

Asked if he thought Tonali’s ban would be extended, Howe said: “We don’t know. I certainly hope for Sandro that there are no further consequences.”

Newcastle are 10th in the standings on 40 points. They host seventh-placed West Ham United, who are four points above them, on March 30.

“We want to be closing that gap. West Ham have done well, they are a dangerous team. We are back at home, we left on a good note in our last game against Wolves and we are desperate to carry that on again,” Howe said.

“The last 10 games are a really good opportunity to finish the season strongly.”

Also looking to finish their season strongly are sixth-placed Manchester United.

Ahead of their clash against Brentford on March 30, Red Devils boss Erik ten Hag said centre back Lisandro Martinez could feature while left-back Luke Shaw is expected to play some part in the run-in.

Ten Hag said on March 29: “There is a chance that Martinez will be in the squad. We missed him every game because he brings composure and calmness to the team and a winning attitude.”

On Shaw, he added: “I expect him back before the end of the season, he is still on schedule.” REUTERS