Official Sandro Tonali return date twist rules Newcastle United midfielder out for three more games

The 24-year-old midfielder has been banned from football since October 2023 but has been able to continue training with the Newcastle first team. But his 10-month ban expires at the end of August which will allow him to be eligible for Newcastle’s Premier League match against Tottenham Hotspur at St James’ Park on the weekend of August 31.

Tonali will still miss Newcastle’s opening two league matches of the 2024-25 campaign against Southampton and AFC Bournemouth on August 17 and August 24 respectively. The Italian is also set to be ruled out of the Carabao Cup second-round tie on the week starting August 26 despite some confusion as to whether he could feature.

A club statement published by Newcastle listed Tonali’s return date as August 27, 2024, which would allow him to be available for the Carabao Cup second-round matches on August 27 and August 28.

But an official document published by the Football Association lists Tonali’s return date as August 29 rather than August 27, effectively ruling him out of any Carabao Cup second round matches.

The document outlines the length as Tonali’s ban as: “An 18 month ban imposed by the FIGC for similar [betting] offences to those admitted by [Tonali] in these proceedings. 10 months of that ban is effective from 27 October 2023 to 29 August 2024.”

The FA decided not to extend Tonali’s ban beyond the August 29 date provided by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) after the player was found guilty of further betting offences committed after joining Newcastle. Newcastle will adhere to Tonali’s ban until the August 29 date listed in the official FA document unless told otherwise.