At a glance
- Newcastle’s Tonali injured in Barcelona loss
- Not a serious problem
- The Italian’s chances of making derby revealed
In Newcastle United’s 7-2 defeat to Barcelona, Italian midfielder Sandro Tonali picked up an injury which forced him off and put him in serious doubt ahead of the Tyne-Wear derby.
Immediately following the game, Eddie Howe said, “That could be a problem for us”, and it was later confirmed he had picked up an issue with his groin and hip.
The 25-year-old underwent an MRI scan to understand the situation. Fortunately for the Magpies and the Italian national team, scans showed there was no injury, only swelling.
An update from Keith Downie has given fans hope of seeing Tonali face Sunderland on Sunday (March 22nd). He wrote on X that he “has a chance of playing” against the Black Cats.
Newcastle midfield issues continue
The Toon Army will be pleased that Tonali hasn’t suffered a serious injury. But this weekend may simply come too early for him.
The injury would have been a major blow for the Magpies ahead of the game, with Bruno Guimaraes also likely to miss this weekend’s derby but expected back after the international break.
Lewis Miley is also recovering from an injury he picked up at the beginning of February. Joelinton, Jacob Ramsey, and Joe Willock have all had significant injuries at some point during the season, which has clearly affected how Howe has set up.
With the midfield constantly changing, it’s been a challenge for the St James’ Park outfit to find any real momentum throughout their team this season.
| Newcastle midfielders | 2025/26 games missed through injury |
|---|---|
| Sandro Tonali | 0 |
| Bruno Guimaraes | 10 |
| Joelinton | 7 |
| Jacob Ramsey | 7 |
| Lewis Miley | 12 |
| Joe Willock | 1 |
Howe’s team’s longest winning run this season is four games, and three of those games were with Tonali, Guimaraes and Joelinton in the middle of the park. That has proven to be the club’s strongest midfield trio.
At times, Newcastle simply haven’t been good enough on the pitch, which has resulted in them dropping points, but injuries have been brutal for the team this season.
Strength to the middle of the pitch
Newcastle need to get a string of results together, and for Howe, ideally more than four, if they are to put real pressure on the European chasers.
Getting Guimaraes back after the international break will be crucial to the chances of completing that, and Tonali not picking up an injury is what the club needed.
There has been speculation over both players’ futures, with Tonali’s agent talking up his client amid links with Arsenal and Manchester United. Guimaraes has been the subject of reported interest from the Red Devils.
That talk is for the summer, and their focus right now is to ensure the Magpies finish as high as possible in the Premier League.
While some of the other midfielders have played well recently, the Toon Army knows that if they want to get Europe next season, they need their best players in the starting XI. That midfield trio gives them the best chance of achieving their goals, as they did last season.
