Jack Colback comes in from the cold at Newcastle

The midfielder will start for the club's Under-23s in a Premier League 2 fixture against Wolverhampton Wanderers at St James's Park tonight (7pm kick-off).

Colback hasn't made an appearance for the club at any level since the July 29 pre-season friendly against Mainz.

The 27-year-old was told to find a new club by United manager Rafa Benitez in the summer.

However, Colback didn't secure a move away from the club before last month's transfer deadline.

And the Killingworth-born player, signed in 2014 as a free agent, has been training at the Academy in recent weeks.

Benitez said: "Jack, he knew my ideas before, and he knows my ideas now.

“It’s important for me to have a group of players, and the number of players, you can manage.

“Sometimes you have too many players and you have to leave some out.

"But to have players training on their own, I don’t think that’s a good situation. Instead you have to be training with a team.”

Meanwhile, Freddie Woodman, Henri Saivet, Rolando Aarons and Jamie Sterry have also been handed starts against Wolves, who are coached by former United winger Scott Sellars.

NEWCASTLE UNITED: Woodman; Sterry, Yarney, Gillesphey, Cameron; Colback, Saivet; Charman, Barlaser, Aarons; Gayle. Subs: Woolston, O'Connor, Sangare, C. Smith, El-Mhanni.