Newcastle United caretaker boss John Carver has insisted that he will not rush midfielder Siem de Jong back into action following his recovery from injury.
The 25-year-old has been out since August due to sustaining a torn thigh muscle, but has now returned to training along with Mehdi Abeid and Sammy Ameobi after a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
Carver told reporters: "Having him, Mehdi Abeid and Sammy Ameobi fit again just adds to the group.
"He seems a huge character and he's a good talker who pops in every morning for a chat. He's one of the big characters in the dressing room.
"But we need him fully fit. I think he's got to have two, maybe three Under-21 games and then maybe 45 minutes, 70 and then a full game. He's still a little bit off at the moment."
De Jong signed for the Magpies last summer in a £11m deal from Ajax.
