Newcastle's Eddie Howe Optimistic About Sandro Tonali's Return

Eddie Howe is refusing to rule out a late twist to Newcastle’s final day, with Sandro Tonali in contention to feature despite last week’s hamstring scare.

The Italian midfielder limped off during the win over West Ham, raising fears that his season might be over. Instead, Howe struck a notably upbeat tone ahead of Sunday’s trip to Fulham.

“Sandro, potentially, will be available,” he said. “We will look at him again today. We don’t think it is anything serious.”

It is the kind of news Newcastle needed as they chase a strong finish to a campaign that has veered wildly in the last month before settling into something far more convincing.

Howe banks on momentum

Newcastle’s revival has been sharp. Their last defeat came against Premier League champions Arsenal in April; since then, the mood has shifted and the football has followed.

“We hope to continue the upturn in our recent performances, upturn in our in-possession play, we want to end the season high, it is an important match for us,” Howe said, leaning heavily on that word: upturn.

The numbers back him up, but the manager keeps circling back to the way his side are using the ball, not just the results they are grinding out.

That shift was on full display in the 3-1 win over West Ham, a result that doubled as a farewell to the home crowd and a statement of intent. It also underlined the emergence of a new attacking threat.

Osula seizes his moment

Osula’s two goals against relegation-threatened West Ham turned a routine afternoon into a showcase. Direct, powerful, relentless in his running, he gave Newcastle a focal point and a future talking point in the space of 90 minutes.

Howe did not hold back in his assessment.

“He is at a really good age,” he said. “Lots of things to continue to work on, there are lots of untapped areas we can develop.

“The ceiling in his development is really high. He has the raw ingredients, the physical profile too.”

For a coach who chooses his words carefully, “untapped” and “really high” stand out. Howe sees a project, not just a purple patch. The striker’s brace arrived at the perfect time: last home game, crowd hungry for a lift, a season that needed a final surge rather than a slow fade.

“It was great to win our last home game. That left us all with a great feeling. We want to end the season on a real high,” Howe added.

The message is clear. The West Ham win was not a full stop; it was a springboard.

Final day, final statement

Fulham away now offers one last chance to turn momentum into something more concrete. Newcastle travel with a side that suddenly looks confident in possession, a manager openly encouraged by what he is seeing, and a forward in Osula who has forced his way into the conversation.

If Tonali makes it, even for a cameo, it adds another layer. A key midfielder, thought to be out, back in time to help close the season with purpose rather than relief.

Newcastle have already flipped their form once in recent weeks. The question on Sunday is whether they can lock this version of themselves in place for what comes next.