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ALAN PARDEW is hoping Cheick Tiote will be back for the clash with Norwich City at St James’ Park on Sunday.

There is also good news in that skipper Fabricio Coloccini will be available for the Premier League clash at Reading on Saturday week.

There was real light at the end of the tunnel for boss Pardew today as his stars began to return to fitness after the Toon squad had been ravaged by injury in recent weeks.

Pardew will also hope Papiss Cisse – who has been suffering with illness and missed the trip to Madeira – will be back to face the Canaries, the side he scored a wonderful winning goal against last term.

Pardew told the Chronicle: “Cheick is training today.

“Papiss will train today too.

“Colo is coming back and will train on Monday. Suddenly things are looking a lot better.”

Coloccini has been out for most of the season so far with a hamstring problem.

He could even be back for the Capital One Cup visit to Manchester United in midweek, but it remains to be seen whether Pardew will play his key man in a competition which will really test his squad.

He added: “Colo is definitely out of the Norwich game.

“I am not sure about either Tiote or Papiss yet.”

Yohan Cabaye, Hatem Ben Arfa, Demba Ba and Jonas Gutierrez are also fresh to face Chris Hughton’s Norwich.