Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe has intimated that Sandro Tonali will start against Nottingham Forest in the Carabao Cup.
The two clubs will face off in the competition’s second round at the City Ground next Wednesday (8pm), with Tonali hoping to return to action after a 10-month betting suspension. Howe says the Italian midfielder will be fit to play, implying he might return to Newcastle’s starting lineup right away.
“I think he’ll be in a position to start games,” Howe told the Gazette. “Physically, he’s in great shape, but he hasn’t got the matches and game sharpness that come from playing.
“It’s really difficult to motivate him in that sense, but we’ve held games and training sessions, but they’re not the same as Premier League games in front of a crowd.
“Everything you acquire, all the emotions you go through, it’s not the same, so I believe he’ll be fit and ready to play, but will he be in his peak condition? Probably not for another month or two.
