SIEM DE JONG continued his comeback from injury as Newcastle United’s development side claimed a 2-1 win at Aston Villa.

Adam Armstrong scored both goals to push his claims for a first-team starting spot in Saturday’s home game with Swansea, but it was de Jong’s second reserves appearance in a week that was the most notable aspect of the game at Villa Park.

The Dutchman, who underwent surgery to correct a collapsed lung earlier this year, played for 72 minutes and will now hope to return to the senior squad before the end of the season.

Whether Facundo Ferreyra also makes a belated first-team debut remains to be seen, but the Shakhtar Donetsk loanee was one of two Newcastle players to strike the woodwork in the early stages, with Olivier Kemen also shooting against the post.

Villa opened the scoring shortly after the half-hour mark when Harry McKirdy raced on to Jerell Sellars’ through ball and slotted home, but Armstrong, who played the final 15 minutes of Sunday’s 3-1 Premier League defeat to Spurs, levelled before the interval when he spun to curl home from the edge of the area.

Ferreyra hit the post again in the second half, but Armstrong claimed a 63rd-minute winner as he raced into the inside-left channel and scored from an acute angle.

Newcastle: Woolston, Sterry, Laidler, Williams, Satka, Barlaser, Kemen, Ferreyra, Smith, de Jong (Gilliead 72), Armstrong (Roberts 89)