Sandro Tonali Newcastle United training ground injury update ahead of Liverpool clash
Sandro Tonali dropped out of the Newcastle United starting line-up in Sunday’s 4-3 win over Nottingham Forest due to injury.
The Italian missed some training ahead of the match at St James’ Park and was named on the bench. Newcastle raced into a 4-1 lead over Forest at half-time but allowed the visitors to pull the game back to 4-3 after the break - setting up a nervous end to the match.
Had Newcastle been able to keep their composure and see out the win comfortably in the second half, Tonali may well have remained on the bench. But a disjointed showing saw Eddie Howe turn to the 24-year-old to inject some control into the game in the final 20 minutes.
Now The Magpies head coach will be hoping the midfielder is okay to be involved in Wednesday’s Premier League trip to Liverpool on Wednesday night (8:15pm kick-off).
Explaining Tonali’s issue, Howe said: “Yeah, he had a hamstring problem in the week. He missed a couple of days training.
“I didn't really want to risk him today. But with the second half, as it was, we felt we needed his legs in midfield.
“He said he felt okay to play. It was a sort of reluctant sub for me, but I thought he did well when he came on and touch wood, he's okay [for Liverpool].”
Sandro Tonali impresses against Liverpool at St James’ Park
Tonali’s involvement on Wednesday evening could prove crucial for Newcastle if they hope to take anything from their trip to Anfield. The Italian played a key role in United’s 3-3 draw with Liverpool at St James’ Park back in December.
Since then, Tonali has established himself as a key player in Eddie Howe’s side.
“Sandro has become a key figure in our midfield,” Howe admitted. “It's well-documented how good he is on the ball – he's very calm, composed, positive with his passing, very good technically.
“But I just think the off-the-ball work that he does, the transitional aspect of his play has been of the highest level and he's really helped our midfield cope, especially in the away games that we've performed well in.
“In part, that's down to his off-the-ball work. His defensive mindset has been of the very highest level and it's definitely helped the team.”