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Rob Elliot will make his return to action for the first time since March on Monday night at St James’ Park (7pm).

The Republic of Ireland goalkeeper was injured on international duty in Dublin against Slovakia when he sustained a serious knee injury that required surgery.

Elliot has slowly worked his way back to full fitness and will play as United's Under-23s face Aston Villa on Tyneside to mark his comeback.

He said: “It’s just a case of playing the reserve game, getting used to playing on a big pitch again, the passes and the distribution, sweeping things up, and just going from there.

“It’s the final box to tick. I’ve practised everything in training, I’ve done everything in the gym.

“It’s been just over eight months now, so it’s been a long time.

“It’ll be good to take my name off the injured list and hopefully be back in the plans to get back in with the first team.

“It’ll be good to go back and play at St James’ and get my bearings back again.”

And reflecting on his tough stint on the sidelines, Elliot told NUFC.co.uk: “You have days when you get up and just think to yourself ‘I don’t want to have to do the same exercises again and again and again’, but you know that you’re doing them for the right reasons.

“They’re the hardest days, but they’re also the days that make you stronger.

“They’re the days that you get through when you work hard and, mentally, you’re stronger for it, because you’ve got on with it and you haven’t let it get on top of you.”