Newcastle United boss Alan Pardew has stated that Yohan Cabaye is a guaranteed starter against Cardiff City in Wales this weekend after shaking off his injury concerns.
As a precaution, the French midfielder was left on the bench for the trip to Everton on Monday because of a groin injury picked up in their 3-2 loss to Hull City last Saturday.
He scored as a substitute to nearly inspire a Magpies comeback in their 3-2 defeat at Goodison Park, and Pardew has insisted that Cabaye's return to the Newcastle XI on Saturday will be a major boost to the team.
"He's a class act," Pardew told Sky Sports News. "We had a long chat, me and him, yesterday about him starting and we both felt he wasn't quite right for 90 minutes.
"He was terrific in the second half and he hasn't had any problems coming off, so he's an absolute banker for Cardiff.
"That's what I'm looking at. We need that sort of performance, that kind of 90 minutes he gives me with the quality."
Cabaye, 27, has yet to complete a full match for Newcastle this term, but did miss the beginning of the season after becoming unsettled due to Arsenal showing an interest in him.
Joe Fish
