Sandro Tonali comes off the bench in Newcastle’s clash against Borussia Dortmund despite the fact the Italian midfielder is set to receive a 10-month ban from football over illegal betting TODAY

Sandro Tonali was named on Newcastle’s bench for the Champions League tie against Borussia Dortmund before coming on after 65 minutes – just a day before he is expected to be banned from football for 10 months.

The Magpies hosted the German side at St James’ Park, hoping to continue their unbeaten return to Europe’s elite club competition after a 0-0 draw against AC Milan and a memorable 4-1 win against PSG.

Earlier this month, Tonali was named in an investigation by the Italian Public Prosecution Service and the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) into allegations of illegal gambling, with Newcastle confirming the investigation into the midfielder was ongoing last week.

Tonali – who moved to the Magpies for £52m in the summer – was one of three players originally named alongside Aston Villa’s Nicolo Zaniolo and Juventus’ Nicolo Fagioli who reportedly admitted betting on matches involving his former club AC Milan was involved.

Mail Sport reported earlier on Wednesday how Italian authorities were prepared to confirm Tonali’s illegal betting ban, which would see the midfielder miss the next 10 months.

Tonali was introduced after 65 minutes when he replaced Sean Longstaff in midfield

An agreement has been reached for Tonali to serve a 10-month ban for illegal betting

With the ban expected to be confirmed tomorrow, he was available for Eddie Howe this evening

The player’s lawyers have been negotiating with prosecutors and the FIGC and an agreement is believed to be very close.

Officially, however, it did not come before the draw with Dortmund, which meant Tonali was available for Eddie Howe, who chose him as his substitute. Any suspension will only take effect from the following day.

It is thought that UEFA did not want Tonali – whose agent said he was a gambling addict – to perform, but that UEFA was powerless without confirmation of the ban from Italy.

Tonali then replaced Sean Longstaff after 65 minutes with Newcastle trailing 1-0 thanks to Felix Nmecha’s first-half strike.

However, he couldn’t help orchestrating a comeback as they suffered the first defeat of their Champions League campaign this season.

Crucially for Tonali and Newcastle, he is expected to be free to train with the team during his suspension, which runs until the end of August next year. He will miss Euro 2024 and the first weeks of the Premier League season.

Newcastle are yet to respond to reports in Italy about a clause in the 23-year-old’s contract meaning they do not have to pay him during the suspension.

However, the club are assessing all legal options and their lawyers will investigate whether they have a case for compensation as they paid Milan £52 million for a player who had already committed gambling offences, including betting on his own teams to win matches.

Tonali’s suspension also includes eight months of therapy and his participation in anti-gambling initiatives.

In relation to the wider investigation, Zaniolo, Tonali and Fagioli had their electronics seized almost two weeks ago, with the Italian national team training camp also raided by authorities when they tried to interview Zaniolo and Tonali.

Italy head coach Luciano Spalletti called the raid ‘traumatic’ and described his players as ‘absolutely distraught’ by the investigation.

Reports in Italy indicate that after meeting with prosecutors over alleged sports crimes, Tonali then spoke with prosecutor Manuela Pedrotta, who is leading an investigation into a gambling ring on illegal online platforms.

Tonali is said to have fully cooperated with the parallel investigation.

Fagioli became the first player to speak directly to prosecutors after the news broke two weeks ago, and the 22-year-old was subsequently extradited a seven-month ban from football.

It is expected that Tonali will be able to continue training at Newcastle during his suspension

Nicolo Fagioli (left) and Nicolo Zaniolo were also named in the Italian authorities’ investigation. Fagioli was banned for seven months after admitting guilt and gambling addiction

The ban for the player is a significant reduction from the usual minimum sentence of three years after he admits his guilt and admits to a gambling addiction.

Italian betting laws prohibit athletes from placing bets on the sports in which they participate.

Zaniolo, who joined Galatasaray on loan from Aston Villa during the summer transfer window, is said to be not seeking a settlement but instead a full acquittal.

The former Roma player is said to be adamant that he only placed bets on online poker and blackjack games – which does not breach the Sports Justice Code.