Sandro Tonali has a 'gambling addiction', his agent has claimed.
The Italy star has been forced to drop out of the squad for tonight's Euro 2024 qualifying match against England.
Tonali and Aston Villa's Nicolo Zaniolo were officially put under investigation last week, with 40 players being suspected of breaching betting rules.
Italian footballers face a three-year ban if found guilty of failing to adhere by the guidelines put in place.
Sandro Tonali has a 'gambling addiction' with Italy star hoping to play for Newcastle on Saturday
GETTY
Tonali was left in tears after being quizzed by the police while on international duty.
And his agent, Giuseppe Riso, has now confirmed his client is suffering from a gambling addiction.
Furthermore, he also hopes the probe 'saves' Tonali - with the midfielder only joining Newcastle from AC Milan back in the summer.
“Sandro suffers from a gambling addiction,' said at an event per London, per The Sun.
"He’s fighting to avoid that and I’m sure he will win this difficult game.
“He is in shock, he is shaken and sad.
"I hope that this experience saves his life and that of many others, that it helps those who fall into the same habit as him.”
Riso also said Tonali could be available for Newcastle when they lock horns with Crystal Palace on Saturday.
“Sandro is training, and on Saturday he could also play," he said.
“He understood that he has to face this problem in a determined way. The club is absolutely at the moment on his side.”
Italian media say Tonali is ready to cooperate with authorities and will reveal everything he knows about the betting scandal.
He is accused of gambling on football games, which breaches Article 24 of the Code of Sporting Justice.
Another player facing allegations is Juventus star Nicolo Fagioli.
And it has since emerged the midfielder is likely to face a ban of seven months, with a final decision to be announced soon.
Italy boss Luciano Spalletti, meanwhile, has admitted it has been a 'traumatic' week for his side ahead of their match with England.
“It has been traumatic for the team because we had the authorities almost coming into the dressing room," he said.
"Everyone was surprised. Everyone was upset. Some of us were able to give them a hug before they went home.
"The players themselves were absolutely distraught because when you are part of a national team, very strong ties and bonds are created.
"Apart from the results you get, the one other thing you keep with you for the rest of your life is the lasting relationships you make in the national team set-up.
"I do think it is a form of temptation, gambling is a form of temptation, it is a vice, and these things happen and can happen.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Nicolo Zaniolo is also under investigation as well as Newcastle and Italy star Sandro Tonali
GETTY
"But we are committed to keep speaking to these players, we will continue to keep our eye on them, and we will try to provide them with all of the help, information and support we can to make sure they can go back to doing what they enjoy doing most.
"With this misadventure, we’ve all been affected by this.
"We need to move forward. We have to focus on what our goals are.
"They’re good players. But we can’t depend solely on these players in order to get a result.”
