Newcastle striker Alexander Isak suffered a recurrence of a groin injury during Wednesday night’s 1-0 Champions League defeat by Borussia Dortmund (Richard Sellers/PA)

Longer term, Howe is aware that Tonali will need to be carefully managed during a challenging period of time away from the field (the club is unsure if he will be able to train with his teammates).

He stated: “Sandro is in a difficult situation, and if he is ultimately banned for that length of time, he will undoubtedly have really difficult moments during that time. He will also initially be the focus of a lot of attention.

“However, there will undoubtedly be a time when it is just training—wherever he trains—and no game, and that will be challenging for any player to get used to, especially when they are healthy and ready to play.

“The communication between us, me and my coaching staff and him, is going to be hugely important.”