Eddie Howe plays down Sandro Tonali injury scare as Newcastle prepare for Burnley clash | OneFootball

Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe has confirmed a triple injury blow as his team prepares to welcome Burnley to St James’ Park on Saturday.

One of those players who could sit out Saturday’s outing is Sandro Tonali, although the Newcastle manager is hoping he passes a late fitness test.

The Magpies return home looking to stretch their unbeaten run on Tyneside to eight matches in all competitions, and Howe is hopeful Tonali can help make that happen.

The Italian midfielder was forced off at half-time during the 2-2 draw against Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday night, sparking concerns around St James’ Park. Howe has played down the issue.

“He’s had a scan, and we don’t think it’s too bad,” Howe said during his pre-match press conference.

“We’ll give him every chance to declare himself fit. It was a knock very similar to the one Joelinton suffered, a dead-leg type of feeling.

“Sandro felt it was concerning enough to get scanned, but we’ll see how he is today, and we’ll give him every chance to be fit.”

While Tonali is struggling to be fit for the Burnley clash, Yoane Wissa is making significant strides in his recovery journey.

Wissa is yet to make his competitive debut, but his teammates have been impressed with his performances in training, and Howe is convinced it’s only a matter of time until he’s ready to feature.

“We did an 11v11 game on Wednesday, which was good and more minutes for him,” Howe added. “Around about half an hour – he did well. So far, he’s come through everything.”

There was also positive news in defence with Sven Botman taking another step in his recovery.

“Sven has had an injection,” Howe said. “We hope that will bring back his return quite quickly, but now there is a time period for the injection to work, which I think is about a week, then we’ll see how he is.”