REMY CABELLA will return to the Newcastle United squad as they take on Everton at Goodison Park on Sunday.

Cabella has been sidelined since the 1-1 draw at Crystal Palace in the middle of last month after sustaining a knee injury.

He has returned to training this month, though, and is likely to go straight back into a Newcastle side that will be lacking suspended striker Papiss Cisse.

Reserve goalkeeper Rob Elliot is also back in the squad, but there is no place for Massadio Haidara, whose own knee problem is continuing to give cause for concern.

Interim head coach John Carver said: "Haidara had an injection in his knee - it's not settled down yet, so he's not going to be available, but the good news is that we've got Remy Cabella back.

"He's in the squad after a full week of training. Robbie's been out for a number of weeks with a thigh strain so he's back, and has had a good week under his belt."

Cisse is starting a seven-match suspension after admitting spitting at Manchester United defender Jonny Evans during Newcastle's recent 1-0 defeat at St James' Park.

At the time, Carver claimed spitting was one of the worst offences in football, and the former assistant did not feel he could defend Cisse's actions once the proof of his guilt became clear.

He said: "Papiss is down because what's happened. He's made a good statement, a proper statement and he's right to do that because there's no place in the game for that - he was provoked and he did retaliate.

"I think one or two might have reacted differently and got less of a ban, but he's accepted it and the club's dealt with it in the right way.

"We all know the rules and regulations - it was his second red card of the season and for that you get another game. The fact that Papiss owned up to it straight away, I wasn't going to sit here and defend him.

"I sat with him and I said, 'Listen, I can't defend you on this - you've done wrong and have to accept whatever punishment you get'.

"There's no place in the game for it. When you've played the game, it's one of the lowest forms of anything you can do on the pitch. A lot of players would have acted differently. He was provoked, and retaliating in the same manner is just as bad."