Report: Eddie Howe could still field £55m midfielder on Saturday due to paperwork delay

There is an outside chance that Sandro Tonali will still be eligible to play for Newcastle United at Wolves on Saturday.

It's a paper-thin possibility but at the time of writing, Sandro Tonali is still eligible to play for Newcastle United, according to The Telegraph.

Tonali was handed an 18-month sanction for breaching gambling laws by the Italian Football Federation. The suspension means he is banned from football for 10 months with an extra eight months where he will have to attend rehabilitation and give talks on addiction.

Tonali can still train with Newcastle United's first-team

During this time, the £55 million summer signing can still train with the Magpies first team and can play in friendlies, which means he won't just be sat feeling sorry for himself for the rest of the campaign.

However, if Tonali fails to attend rehab or the scheduled talks then his ban from playing will be extended.

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As things stand, FIFA have not made the ban worldwide, which means Tonali is still available for Eddie Howe and could face Wolves at Molineux Stadium on Saturday evening.

It's still likely we've seen the last of Sandro this season

It's just an administrative issue, though. The paperwork will likely be completed before Howe makes his team selection tomorrow and the ban will have come into effect.

It's probably safe to say that we've seen the last of Tonali this season after his 20-minute appearance against Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday night.

Let's be honest, it would be nice to get one more game out of him with Joe Willock unlikely to be able to play 90 minutes just yet, but we don't think it's going to happen.