Tonali joined Newcastle from Milan for a reported £55m in July, but has been handed a 10-month ban for breaching betting rules after agreeing a plea bargain with the Italian Football Federation following an investigation last month.
The 23-year-old has been training with Eddie Howe's side but he has been ruled out for the rest of the 2023-24 season, with his ban due to expire on August 27, 2024.
Ashworth, who joined Newcastle in February, has admitted that it was a «massive shock» and «surprise» to learn of Tonali's betting addiction, prompting the club's internal probe, and he has questioned his role in the Italian's big-money transfer to St James' Park.
Speaking as part on an in-depth Q&A on Friday, as quoted by Sky Sports News, Ashworth said: «First and foremost, Sandro is a human being. Everyone in this room has done things we shouldn't have done or things we regret. It was a massive shock, a massive surprise. Dealing with it was new to all of us.
»Our first port of call is to look after and support him. It's probably more difficult for him than anyone else. We have a programme to support him and thankfully he's able to train with the team, which is great for his mental well-being. We are still trying to unravel what it means in terms of playing games, but he can join in training on a regular basis.
«He was a big signing for us. We didn't expect it. You look at yourself. Could I have done better? Could we have known? Should we have known? You look at your processes. I have
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