SANDRO TONALI’S legal representatives are set to meet the prosecuting authorities in Italy today, with a decision over the Newcastle United midfielder’s penalty for breaching betting regulations close to being finalised.

Tonali is facing a suspension from all football that is expected to last for around a year after admitting to a string of betting offences, with his agent, Guiseppe Rosi, admitting last week that his client is a “gambling addict”.

The 23-year-old midfielder made what could prove to have been his final appearance of the season on Saturday as he was a second-half substitute in Newcastle’s 4-0 win over Crystal Palace at St James’ Park.

Tonali’s name was cheered when it was announced on the stadium PA prior to kick-off, and a giant ‘Forza Tonali’ flag was flown on the Gallowgate End prior to kick-off.

A huge cheer greeted the midfielder when he left the dugout to warm up on the touchline midway through the first half, and there were even louder roars when he came onto the field to replace Bruno Guimaraes in the 69th minute.

The cheers were repeated at the end of the game, when Tonali was ushered ahead of his team-mates to lead Newcastle’s customary post-match lap of honour.

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“It’s a big thank you from me to our supporters because that reception at the end was incredible,” said Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe. “It was emotional. As I said on Friday, he’s a human being, he’s going through a very emotional time and the supporters reacted in the way that I hoped they would. I could feel the love between him and them and that will do him the world of good.

“I think the hardest part is ahead regardless of what happens. Immediately, you get a lot of attention and people are talking about the situation. He’s had the love of the supporters, but that’s difficult to maintain over a long period of time.

“Who knows what’s ahead? I just think it’s great for him to know he’s got the support, not just of the senior management at the football club and the manager, but also the support of the supporters, and they’re the most important people.”

Howe assessed Tonali’s wellbeing in the build-up to Saturday’s game, and was always confident the Italian was capable of doing himself justice if asked to take to the field.

“He very much wanted to play and to perform,” said Howe. “I haven't really gone into detail on that. For me, there was no decision to make as in would I or could I play him? It was yes, I could see that from how he's trained, so there was no part of me that goes, 'Ah, he's not ready to play football'.

“Then, we just have to just introduce him at the right time and make sure it's right for the team. It was a good time to do it, and I thought he played well when he came on.”