Sandro Tonali is a doubt for Sunday’s derby after injury as Eddie Howe faces mounting selection issues at Newcastle United
Newcastle United have been dealt a fresh injury concern ahead of Sunday’s Tyne-Wear derby against Sunderland, with Sandro Tonali emerging as a doubt following their heavy Champions League defeat to Barcelona.
The Italian midfielder was forced off during the 7-2 loss at the Camp Nou, compounding an already difficult evening for Eddie Howe’s side as they exited the competition in emphatic fashion. Newcastle had competed well in the first half and twice fought back through an Anthony Elanga brace after falling behind early.
However, Barcelona pulled away before the break and dominated the second half to record the club’s heaviest European defeat. Tonali had started in midfield alongside Jacob Ramsey and Joelinton and impressed during the opening period, but did not return after the interval due to injury. Speaking after the game, Howe admitted the issue could rule him out of Sunday’s derby.
“Yeah, I’d say he’s a doubt. It looks like he’s got a groin problem,” Howe said after the game at the Nou Camp ahead of this Sunday’s Tyne-Wear derby at St James’s Park in the Premier League. “I thought he performed really well in the first half but he really missed it in that second half.”
The potential absence of Tonali would be a significant blow for Newcastle heading into one of the biggest fixtures of their season. Howe is already without a number of key players, with Bruno Guimaraes, Lewis Miley, Fabian Schar and Emil Krafth all unavailable, leaving the squad stretched - particularly in midfield areas.
Newcastle now return to Premier League action sitting ninth in the table, seven points adrift of the Champions League places, with just eight games remaining after being knocked out of all three cup competitions. Reflecting on the defeat in Spain, Howe was critical of his side’s defensive display, particularly after what he felt had been a strong first-half showing.
“The defending today was not at the level that it was just a few days ago at Chelsea,” he said. “Starting with the first goal where two players slipped, then we could see it set play, then probably the big one was the penalty. So, as well as we played in the first half, and I thought we were outstanding in many aspects, it was really a great representation of how we want to play.
“If we performed anywhere near or defended anywhere near the level we can, I think we would have been leading at half-time. The second half, we said we didn’t have the same energy, and when the game was effectively over, we didn’t react well to that moment either. So it became a very, very difficult second half. And even changing to play lower and deeper in a compact space didn’t really help us in our efforts.”
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