Injured during the international break with Italy, Newcastle United’s Sandro Tonali was left out of the 1-0 win over Brentford at the weekend.
Eddie Howe was being careful with his big summer signing, knowing full well how important he could be in his team’s Champions League opener on Tuesday.
Not only is it their first game in the competition for many years, it will also come against a wounded AC Milan, who lost 5-1 to Inter Milan a couple of days ago, as covered by Corriere dello Sport.
While the result has not put Stefano Pioli’s job at risk, the fact they are facing Newcastle in the next few days is a concern, especially because the idea of playing against a player as good as Tonali is ‘scary’.
They know exactly what the Italian can bring to a team’s midfield, having experienced it themselves for so many years, and following the weekend’s result, they are now ‘called to react’ by their fans against a ‘difficult’ team like the Magpies.
This sentiment is echoed by Corriere della Sera, who look at how Milan could change to face Newcastle, and Tonali will be a main concern for them.
The St James’ Park big signing ‘will have to be contained’, for he will be fresh, having watched the game against Brentford from the bench.
While San Siro are unlikely to ‘boo him’, they must be wary and focused, because ‘romanticism is forbidden on the pitch’.
Milan’s main goal is to win against Newcastle, but to do so, they will need to ensure they don’t let their former star dictate the game from the off.
