Marko Arnautovic has returned to full training and is expected to be fit for the game against Newcastle at the weekend.

As reported here earlier it has been anticipated Marko would make it despite sustaining a knock in the match against Manchester City at the weekend.

He went off in the last minute of the match which maintained a rather long serious of substitutions late in games although the club had already used three subs by the time he disappeared in Saturday.

ClaretandHugh has been told regularly this week that he was more than likely to be fit and it’s good news to hear – and reported in the Evening Standard too – that he now looks on target to meet Rafa Benitez’s in-form outfit.

With Andy Carroll also ready for action Manuel Pellegrini now has that option available should Marko suffer any reaction to what is understood to have been a hip injury.

However, he is now confidently expected to start a game which has been seen as the opening game of a series from which we are confidently expected to take points.