JERMAINE JENAS last night warned he will not take tonight's game with Turkey lightly after being recalled to the England Under-21 squad.

The Newcastle United midfielder failed to make the bench for the senior side's 2-0 win in Liechtenstein on Saturday.

And England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson has allowed Under-21s chief David Platt to reclaim the promising star's talents for this evening's important qualifier with the Turks at St James' Park.

The 20-year-old, who earned his first full international cap against Australia last month, was drafted in as a replacement for West Ham's injured middle-man Michael Carrick.

And Jenas admits he was disappointed to be taking a back seat from Eriksson's plans for the seniors' clash with Turkey tomorrow night at the Stadium of Light.

But he was quick to stress that he will be just as focused on trying to help Platt's men bounce back from their disappointing 4-2 defeat in Portugal on Friday.

"My feelings are obviously a bit mixed," said Jenas, who will be joined by Francis Jeffers in the starting line-up tonight in front of a crowd expected to be in excess of 25,000.

"I want to play in the first team like every player does. But there are plenty of benefits from playing for the Under-21s.

"It's been a great experience because that is exactly what I want to do.

"I was disappointed not to be named among the substitutes but you have got to understand that there are some world-class players in there.

"It's not going to be easy to work my way in and I don't expect it to be.

"It's going to take time for me to get in. All I can do is take my chance when it comes along.

"Sven said to me that I would be better off getting some action for the Under-21s than sitting in the stands watching the first team."

Platt suggested last week that Jenas is one of those player's who takes life in his stride, going in search of the next obstacle he can overcome.

And Jenas revealed he has had hurdles to push out of the way all the way through his career and he sees stepping back down to the Under-21 set-up as one more.

"I never expect things to go easy for me as a footballer," said the former Nottingham Forest man. "I never had it easy as a youngster and I don't expect to have it any better now.

"You have to take knock-backs and you can't just think that's it. You just have to forget about it.

"When I was a schoolboy I used to be overlooked for certain internationals when I thought I should have been in.

"But I had Paul Hart as a manager then and he kept me on the straight and narrow and it worked."

Jenas will not be lining up alongside Newcastle teammates Shola Ameobi and Titus Bramble tonight, as both are ruled out through suspension.

Ameobi was sent off in Friday night's defeat to Portugal for kicking the ball away, while Bramble picked up his second yellow card of the competition.

The losses are a blow to Platt, especially against a Turkish side who are top of Group 7 having won three out of three.

Platt said: "Every game is a must win game at international level. It's a league game we need the three points.

"Shola's physical presence will be a miss. But we now have Francis Jeffers and Jermaine Jenas to call upon.

"Having two players of that ilk back in the squad does lift the players around them on the training field.

"But we will need to be focused against Turkey because they are a very, very good Under-21 side.