Steve Bruce will name Allan Saint-Maximin on the bench at Villa Park tomorrow night - and admits the Magpies have missed him badly since November.
His absence has coincided with a win-less nine-game run in all competitions.
But Bruce has announced his return quicker than expected after admitting he could out for "weeks" at the start of this month.
Bruce said: "There’s no doubt at this particular moment in time that that will give everybody a huge lift because we know how important he is, especially in the forward area.
"He’s the player that we look to for a bit of creativity.
“We have monitored everything we can this week to see where he is in terms of his fitness, and it’s fair to say his fitness levels are very, very good, which is good news."
When asked how much of a role Saint-Maximin will get, Bruce said: "Of course, we’ve got to get the balance right.
"I wouldn’t expect him to be starting (at Villa), but he’ll be in and among the squad and there if he’s needed.”
