Taylor had a long spell out through injury before blotting his copybook with a rash challenge on Bolton's Johan Elmander that earned a straight red card in the 1-1 Premier League draw in February. The international break and scheduling of FA Cup fixtures meant that the former Wigan defender is only now free to play again and is hoping to get the nod from Magpies boss Alan Pardew to face league leaders Manchester United at St James' Park on Tuesday night. "I'm always there and available for the gaffer," Taylor told The Chronicle. "I know what he means by me being a different option. If he needs me, I'll be there. "Like any player, I'm not happy to sit on the bench. I want to show him I can play, and that I can be in that starting XI. "It was six weeks, almost to the day I think, since I got sent off. "You never hear of a three-game suspension being six weeks. Normally, there's a midweek game somewhere along the line so you play two in one week. "It's just the way it went for me. I had come back from an injury I couldn't prevent, and then had a suspension 55 minutes into my comeback game, which wasn't ideal. "Hopefully, now I'll get a few minutes on the pitch now I'm fully fit and free from suspension."
