Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali will reportedly be available to play in Saturday's Premier League clash with Crystal Palace as he awaits the verdict of the Italian Football Federation's investigation into his illegal betting activity.
The Magpies released a statement on Wednesday confirming that the 23-year-old is the subject of an Italian football betting probe and he is "fully engaging with the investigation".
Tonali was forced to withdraw from the Italy national team squad earlier this month and was questioned by police before returning to Newcastle on Monday.
The midfielder then made a swift return to Italy to attend a hearing at the prosecutor's office at the Court of Turin on Tuesday afternoon.
Tonali is said to have admitted to betting on football matches, both in which he played and did not play, for his former club AC Milan to win during his time at the Serie A outfit.
Newcastle's No.8, who is battling with a gambling addiction according to his agent Giuseppe Riso, is at risk of a lengthy suspension ranging from seven months to three years from worldwide football.
© Reuters
The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) confirmed on Tuesday that Juventus midfielder Nicolo Fagioli has been handed a seven-month ban from football as well as a €12,500 fine for illegal gambling activity following a court hearing in Turin.
According to the Daily Mail, Tonali could discover the length of his anticipated ban from football as early as next week.
The report adds that the midfielder, who has returned to England and has trained with his Newcastle teammates, is therefore available for selection for this weekend's Premier League home game against Crystal Palace.
However, it remains to be seen whether Tonali will be named in the matchday squad by manager Eddie Howe, who is expected to provide an update on the situation at a press conference on Friday.
Tonali joined Newcastle from AC Milan for a reported £55m in the summer and has since made 10 first-team appearances in all competitions, scoring on his Premier League debut against Aston Villa in August.
Like Tonali, Aston Villa midfielder Nicolo Zaniolo – on loan from Galatasaray – is also under investigation into alleged illegal betting and is in contention to play for Unai Emery's side against West Ham United on Sunday.
Should Tonali received a lengthy ban from football, Newcastle will allegedly look to sign a new midfielder in January, with Al-Hilal's Ruben Neves, Manchester United's Scott McTominay and Manchester City's Kalvin Phillips said to be among their targets.
Oliver Thomas
