Vurnon Anita closing in on Newcastle comeback as Isaac Hayden faces up to FOUR weeks on sidelines

Anita hurt his ankle in Newcastle United's win over Brentford last month.

And the 27-year-old's imminent return is timely given that Isaac Hayden is facing four weeks on the sidelines after having an operation on his ankle.

However, Monday night's game against Villa is likely to come too soon for Anita.

Hayden had been an unused substitute for Tuesday night's 2-2 draw against Norwich City at Carrow Road.

"We were a little bit disappointed because we could win two more points, but we were happy with the performance of the team," said United manager Rafa Benitez.

"The good news is that we have a lot of players coming back. (Dwight) Gayle has been training, and Anita has been training today too.

"We have pretty much everyone fit, apart from Hayden, who has had an operation on his ankle."