Steve Bruce drops Newcastle United summer signing

The striker, re-signed on transfer deadline day as a free agent, is on the bench for this evening’s televised home game against Brighton and Hove Albion (5.30pm kick-off).

Carroll – whose last appearance for the club was in December 2010 before his £35million move to Liverpool – has recovered from the ankle operation he underwent late last season while a West Ham United player.

“It’s not the young Andy Carroll any more – it’s an experienced Andy Carroll,” said head coach Steve Bruce. “He knows what it’s like to play at this club – and the demands of the club. In that respect, he’s been terrific. We’ve seen a upturn in training because he’s been out there too – he’s given everybody a lift.”

Bruce has also named Allan Saint-Maximin as a substitute for the Premier League game. Saint-Maximin had suffered a recurrence of a hamstring problem in United’s 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur last month.

Meanwhile, right-back Emil Krafth has been dropped in favour of Javier Manquillo in one change from the starting XI against Liverpool last weekend.

Bruce is looking to avoid becoming only the second Newcastle manager to fail to win any of his first three Premier League home games after Steve McClaren.

NEWCASTLE UNITED: Dubravka; Manquillo, Schar, Lascelles, Dummett, Willems; Hayden, Shelvey, Atsu; Almiron; Joelinton. Subs: Darlow, Krafth, Fernandez, Ki, Saint-Maximin, Muto, Carroll.