Newcastle Aims for Strong Finish Against Fulham with Potential Tonali Return

Eddie Howe is refusing to rule out a late-season boost from Sandro Tonali as Newcastle head to Fulham for their final Premier League outing of the campaign.

The Italian midfielder limped off with a hamstring problem in the win over West Ham last week, sparking fears his season was over. Instead, Howe offered a far more upbeat bulletin.

“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 powerful finish to a season that has swung sharply in the last month. Their last defeat came against champions Arsenal in April; since then, the mood has shifted, the football sharper, the confidence restored.

A big part of that surge has been the emergence of Osula, whose two goals in the 3-1 victory over relegation-threatened West Ham underlined his growing influence. Howe did not hold back in his assessment of the striker’s potential.

“He is at a really good age,” Howe 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.”

Those goals helped turn Newcastle’s last home game of the season into a send-off rather than a slog. The manager felt it.

“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.”

Now comes the final hurdle at Fulham, and Howe is clear about what he expects from his side. The performances have improved, the ball work has sharpened, and he wants that trend to carry straight through the final whistle on Sunday.

“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.”

One more game, a possible return for Tonali, a striker on the rise, and a team that has rediscovered its edge. Newcastle know exactly how they want this story to close.