Sandro Tonali is human after all but he remains Newcastle United’s Champions League key

Not for the first time as a Newcastle United player had Sandro Tonali made a costly mistake. This time, however, it was a rare on-field hiccup that gave the Magpies a mountain to climb at Villa Park.

A lackadaisical hoof to Youri Tielemans allowed Ollie Watkins to fire Aston Villa into a first-minute lead. This was the early indication of the nightmare that would unfold for Newcastle as their Champions League grip loosened.

It soon became clear that this was one game too many for a team that had won six on the bounce. The Magpies looked jaded - as did Tonali - and a week off to recover could not come soon enough.

Click here to join NewcastleWorld's dedicated NUFC WhatsApp channel for news videos and voice notes. CLICK THE FOR NOTIFICATIONS.

Newcastle will need their midfield maestro back to his marauding best if they are to get over the line. This is, after all, a mere 24-year-old whose footballing IQ equals that of a 500-game veteran.

The fulcrum of midfield, switching roles with Bruno Guimaraes, allowing the Brazilian to play further forward, unlocked Newcastle’s season. Jason Tindall agreed when speaking to NewcastleWorld on Friday.

“We looked at the individual strengths and qualities of the players and felt that (switching him with Guimaraes) was the right decision at the time,” he said. “You never quite know how that’s going to go but we’re starting to see that Sandro in the deeper position and Bruno higher gets the best out of both players. We’re pleased with Sandro in the deeper role but there’s still a lot more to come from him.”

At 24, Tonali may not reach his peak for another five years. Villa was a blip and, to his credit, the whole team were poor, but those within the Toon inner circle believe he has “no ceiling” as a player - and deserves to be ranked among Europe’s elite.

“There’s certainly still more to come,” Tindall added. “When you see Sandro when he first came to the football club, even to where he is now, there’s been huge growth in him as a player.

“His performances have reflected that. With the way we work and the demands we set on the players day in, day out, there’s always room for improvement. Sandro has been delivering some fantastic recent performances and, with the type of player and guy he is, he’s very level-headed and consistent in his day-to-day work.

“When you have the attitude that Sandro has, there is no ceiling. I think he’s arguably one of the best midfielders in Europe.”

His blend of combativeness and guile in the Newcastle engine room is equally as important as Alexander Isak’s goals for the remaining five games. Imagine a world without Tonali now?

Villa aside, the Italian has already justified the £55million price tag that threatened to appear a waste when authorities slapped him with a 10-month ban last season.

One blunder does not rewrite the 39 games of Mediterranean marvel witnessed this season. Expect him to be back putting out fires and covering every blade of grass when Ipswich Town stroll into St James' Park on Saturday.

Jason Tindall opened up about Sandro Tonali work during 10-month ban

Tindall also reflected on how much work went into ensuring Tonali returned as a better player despite the lengthy lay-off. He told NewcastleWorld: “It was an opportunity for Sandro and ourselves, as his coaches, to get as much work in as possible.

“It is a testament to him because when you’re unable to play for so long, and you’re not injured, mentally that can be very difficult. That’s just a credit to him as a person to be able to stay focused and be consistent in his day-to-day work.

“It speaks volumes of the type of player and character he is. We had to do a lot of work with Sandro tactically. He came from a Milan side that played completely differently to how we wanted him to play. But as you see from the performances he’s delivering, he’s taken all that on board and continues to get better. I’m sure we’ll continue to see a lot more growth from Sandro.”

YOUR NEXT READ: Champions League prize money: Insane figure Newcastle United will earn if they finish in top five