RYAN TAYLOR is ready to show Alan Pardew he can handle an incredible comeback at Newcastle United.

Taylor has come through two behind-closed-doors friendlies unscathed after making his recovery from two ruptured cruciate ligament injuries to the same knee.

It has been a painstaking rehabilitation for the versatile right-back, who now thinks he is at the point where he can be in serious contention for a return to Premier League action.

The 30-year-old is unlikely to involved in Saturday’s visit of Leicester City to St James’ Park, but he is closing in on a return if and when the manager feels the time is right.

As well as training with the first-team squad he has also played back-to-back games with Carlisle United and Burnley, appearing for 70 minutes of the game with the Clarets last week.

Taylor was extremely unlucky in April last year when he twisted his knee on the training ground and suffered a second cruciate ligament injury after seven months of rehabilitation trying to recover from the first.

The former Wigan defender, hailed by supporters for his Wear-Tyne derby winning free-kick at the Stadium of Light in August 2011, suffered his first serious injury 12 months after his heroics against Sunderland when he faced Atromitos in a Europa League qualifier.

Pardew is desperate for a boost at the moment as Newcastle struggle to find a first Premier League win of the season – as sections of fans call for him to quit.

He expects to learn today the extent of the elbow injury suffered by goalkeeper Tim Krul and is already resigned to being without the Dutchman this weekend.

Krul is out of the Holland squad after being injured in training and he underwent a scan yesterday to determine the severity of the problem.

The Magpies No 1 has suffered a similar problem in the past and was out of action for six weeks. Rob Elliot, on international duty with Ireland, is in line to face Leicester.

Newcastle are without summer signing Siem De Jong until January, although the Dutch forward is not certain when he will be back to full fitness from a thigh injury.

De Jong, a £7.5m buy from Ajax, is still on crutches and is wary of predicting a comeback date because of the succession of injury problems he suffered during his time in Holland.

He said: “It’s hard to say when I will be fit again. It is going well and I feel good but it is a nasty injury. I hate it even more as you want to help the team but you can’t.”

The 25-year-old has only made three appearances for Newcastle.