JOHN CARVER has promoted Jonas Gutierrez to the match-day squad for Newcastle United’s home game with Aston Villa on Saturday, and is set to name the Argentinian winger on the substitutes’ bench.

Gutierrez has not figured in the first-team picture since returning to England last December after successfully battling against testicular cancer in his homeland.

Last week, Carver was suggesting that the winger was not ready for a return to the Premier League, comments that appeared to spur Gutierrez to post a tweet insisting that he was “fit and ready” and “now it is down to the board”.

Carver is adamant that he will make the final decision over Gutierrez’s selection, even though the South American is understood to have a clause in his contract, which expires in the summer, stipulating he will automatically be due a new deal if he makes another seven first-team appearances.

“I’m going to bring Jonas Gutierrez into the squad, and there’s a possibility he could be on the bench this weekend,” said Newcastle’s interim boss. “That’s a huge lift for him, and for everyone else around the club, and certainly for the fans because I know how much they like him. I’m sure they’ll give him a good reception.

“My situation with Jonas is that if I need to use him, I will definitely use him. I know there have been rumours out there about the board picking him, or this one picking him and that, but I make the football decisions, and I will pick him when I think the time is right.

“That’s why I’ve included him in the squad for this weekend, with a good chance of him being on the bench.”

Daryl Janmaat has been passed fit to start on Saturday, even though he hobbled out of last weekend’s 5-0 defeat to Manchester City.

“Daryl’s fine,” said Carver. “We actually took him off last weekend as a bit of a precaution, and to protect him. But he trained normally on Monday, and he’s had a good week.”

Jack Colback will not be involved after picking up his tenth booking of the season at the Etihad, and Carver admits to being frustrated at the act of dissent that earned the midfielder a two-match ban.

“It’s a huge blow,” he said. “He was a free transfer, but for me, he’s been our most outstanding player of the season. He’s going to be a big miss, and I’ve told him that what he did was silly.

“I didn’t think it was a free-kick, and it wasn’t, but he reacted in a strange way by punching the ball back towards the official. You can’t do that and we’ll deal with that situation, but he’s a huge miss.”