Newcastle United boss Alan Pardew is expected to hand Dan Gosling a first team chance in the Carling Cup against Nottingham Forest.
Gosling has impressed for the reserves.
"We're in good shape at the moment, there's a lot of competition. Someone like Dan will feature over the next three games," Pardew said.
"He has to try to nail down a position in this team because he's been out for a long time.
"He's had to be patient and you know there are a lot of players who - when they have an injury - it's easy to forget about. We've tried to concentrate on Dan and make sure that his rehabilitation has been sound.
"I think it has been and he's ready now to push on."
