Jamaal Lascelles opens up about his injury '“ and Newcastle's return to form

The defender has missed the club's last two Premier League games with a shoulder problem.

Lascelles, Newcaslte's captain, is now fit and pushing for a recall to Rafa Benitez's starting XI.

Writing in the matchday programme for this afternoon's home game against West Ham United, Lascelles said: "As I write this, I'm feeling much better. I've joined in with a couple of sessions, and hopefully I can get back to match fitness sooner rather than later,"

"I'm doing everything in training – I'm not holding back form anything, so I'm 100% fit in that sense.

"Now it's about getting up to the same sharpness and fitness as the rest of the boys.

"As horrible as it's been to sit and miss it, I couldn't be more proud of the way the boys have been playing. They've been playing good football, there've been a couple of injuries, and players who were on the bench previously have come in and done a fantastic job.

"And that's what it's about – it's not the starting XI that will win you games and get you up the table, it's about the whole squad.

"Everybody has to participate and contribute whenever they#re called upon, and that's exactly what the players have done."