Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew has claimed that Cheick Tiote will improve the team's performances after making his return as a substitute at the weekend.
The Ivory Coast international is expected to feature against Manchester United on Wednesday after recovering from a calf injury he suffered in the opening day victory over Tottenham Hotspur.
"You have to have a platform to play," said Pardew. "He gets a grip of a game and you can start to dominate with somebody like Cheick.
"He puts other teams on the back foot in many ways. He's a fantastic player and one of our most important players.
"We need to get him back in the team as quickly as we can, and I think he will feature on Wednesday."
Tiote was a reported target for a number of European clubs in the summer but resisted the temptation to leave the Magpies.
