Newcastle United defender's absence squad explained

Clark, on a season-long loan at the Championship club, wasn’t involved last weekend’s win over Watford after being named on the bench for five successive games after recovering from an injury.

The 33-year-old, out of contract at the end of the season, has made just seven league starts for the second-placed club – and wasn’t involved in last night’s FA Cup tie against Tottenham Hotspur.

Speaking at the weekend, Blades manager Heckingbottom said: "It was just tactical. We always try and get more forward players on the bench – and that was it.

“He's one of those players who has been in this league, and seen it, done it. He understands my thinking in it, but he also gets it's not a reflection of how he played for us before he was injured. He was arguably hitting that form that we were after just before he got injured.

"Our job, my job, is to give him those opportunities to get back up there. As and when he's called upon, he'll be ready to go."

Clark, left out of Newcastle's 25-man Premier League squad last January following the arrival of left-sided defender Dan Burn, joined the Blades last summer looking for first team football.

“Just to be involved in and around the first-team squad again will be massive for me,” said Clark at the time. “I spent six months last season not involved and just training, which isn’t a great feeling to be honest.”

Clark helped Newcastle win the Championship in the 2016/17 season.