The club's longest serving outfield player has been sidelined since fracturing his cheekbone in a 1-0 defeat to Fulham last month. Ameobi has fitted with a protective mask to allow him to play while the injury continues to heal. Pardew is keen for the 29-year-old to declare his availability ahead of the weekend visit of the Toffees, although Ameobi will have the final say. The striker is due to take part in training on Thursday and he will inform the Magpies boss and he will give the thumbs up he is feels comfortable playing in the mask. "Shola has trained with the rest of the group for the first time and so has Stephen Ireland, but we'll not make a final decision on whether they are able to play some part against Everton until Thursday," he told The Journal. "It is looking good, though, and both have reacted positively in training. "Shola has had a week with the mask, just getting used to it. There was no point getting him to wear the mask, ask him to play and he wasn't comfortable with it. "He has to have that confidence it is going to protect him so he can throw himself around as usual. "The guy who has designed the mask has done so loads of times before with basketball players and that is a far more risky sport when it comes to elbows in the face and injuries like this. "But Shola still had to try it out, he's done that now and it would be great to have him involved at the weekend. "I'll have to have a chat with him on Thursday, check he is comfortable and ask him whether he wants to play. I'm pretty sure he will, but it has to be his decision."
