“He won’t be involved, but I’m very pleased with him in terms of it’s the first time since I’ve been here that he’s shown signs of life,” said Pardew.
“He came for a big fee. Unfortunately for him, it hung around him. He’s carried that a little bit.
“Because of the strikers here, the pressure isn’t on him. He’s beginning to get some confidence back.
“All players have difficult times. There have been difficult times for him. I’m pleased he got that hat-trick. Hopefully, he can build on that, but he won’t be involved.”