**Eddie Howe made eight changes to the side that beat Fulham on Saturday as Newcastle United beat Tottenham Hotspur in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night.**
It's a testament to the squad Howe has built that, despite those eight changes, it was a side that looked capable of easily beating Premier League opposition, and that ultimately proved to be the case.
One change that Howe made was to reinstate Sandro Tonali to the starting eleven after the Italian had failed to start the previous two games.
Tonali had picked up an illness, and while he was in the match day squad to face Benfica in the Champions League, he didn't get off the bench in that game. He did come on late in the game against Fulham on Saturday, hinting that he was well on the road to recovery.
Sandro Tonali put in a Player of the Match performance last night
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Tonali picked up the Player of the Match award last night after a sublime display, which saw him make the most touches of any other player on the pitch. Speaking after the game, Eddie Howe couldn't praise him enough.
> “I thought he was excellent today. Full of energy, outstanding both in and out of possession. Very pleased for Sandi.“He’s had a nasty illness actually, and it knocked him a little bit. But he was very honest about initially saying he couldn’t perform for the team (last week), so we left him out.
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> “But today was the right time to bring him back in. And he looked 100% fit. Delighted with his performance.”
Sandro Tonali came away unscathed despite looking like he was in pain near the end of the game
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The Italian looked to be in a bit of discomfort towards the end of the game, but Eddie Howe put any fears to rest in his post-match presser.
> “He’s fine. Just a little bit of cramp. I think that shows how finely tuned athletes they are.
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> “Sandro’s super fit, but you miss a few days’ training due to his illness and you feel it, but I think there are no problems.”
Sandro should be ready to go again on Sunday when the Magpies head to the Capital for the first time this season to take on West Ham.