Jonas Gutierrez Makes Return to Newcastle Squad After Cancer Battle

Newcastle United midfielder Jonas Gutierrez is in the squad ahead of the club's weekend clash with Aston Villa for the first time since completing treatment for testicular cancer.

The Magpies passed along confirmation from manager John Carver:

BBC Sport reports the 31-year-old veteran has been training with Newcastle since November after undergoing surgery in September. He got a chance to play in a recent U-21 Premier League Cup match as he built back toward full strength.

Whether he will get an opportunity to play on Saturday or in the near future is unclear. As Carver notes, however, simply having him back as an active member of the squad should provide an emotional boost for his teammates.

Sky Sports passed along comments from Gutierrez, who thanked everybody for their support:

"

I'm healthy. My treatment has finished and I'm training with the team. I'm so proud to be back, they have always supported me since my illness and Newcastle have always given me support.

They stayed with me through a hard moment of my life; my team-mates send me messages and call me to ask how the treatment is going. I was so pleased to get those calls and those messages.

The treatment was hard. The chemotherapy is a hard treatment but I have a lot of power from the fans and from my team-mates, they always support me.

"

Once he does return to the pitch it will likely take some time for him to regain top form. That's always the case when a player misses an extended stretch. And Newcastle, which sit in the middle of the table, can afford to work him back in slowly.

Gutierrez has made nearly 200 appearances across all competitions for the club since arriving from Mallorca. Getting back on the pitch is an accomplishment in itself. Everything else is a bonus for the rest of the campaign.