John Carver won't rush Siem de Jong return

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.