Sandro Tonali is set to return from his betting suspension as Newcastle United prepare to face Nottingham Forest in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday evening.
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe has announced that the Italian midfielder, who was banned for 10 months for violating gambling regulations, will be part of the squad for the second-round clash.
“He will definitely be in the squad,” Howe said at his pre-match press conference.
“He is fit, he just hasn’t had the most important thing, with the game time. He has done everything else, he has worked incredibly hard to be on top of his fitness.”
Tonali joined Newcastle in a £55million switch from AC Milan in July last year but has not played for the club since October.
“I imagine (he will have) a range of emotions, a lot of excitement,” added Howe.
“When you have a long time out, you have a long time to analyse and reflect. Now it is just back to doing what he loves. It will be an incredible release for him.
“I want Sandro to come back and enjoy his football. He’s really well liked by his team-mates.”
