He has spent the season reserve to Mike Williamson and Fabricio Coloccini but he finally gets his chance, now that Williamson has been ruled out for the last three games.
However, in former England Under-21s captain has been itching for a chance after his own return from injury.
The 25-year-old has started just two games since returning from a thigh problem picked up in January.
Alan Pardew: "Steven has been raring to go and has been patient in the background, so it's an opportunity for him.
"That's how football works sometimes, it gives you an opportunity at strange times.
"He signed a new contract under me, therefore he is here for the foreseeable future.
"I expect him to play well. He has been working very, very hard. We have changed a little bit of his training, which we think might help him, and hopefully we will see the benefit of that."
“He had a fantastic younger part of his career.
“Then he’s hit a bit of a levelling off when he’s not gone either forward or backward, and that’s dangerous for a young player.
“He needs to get back moving his career in the right direction. He’s a young centre-half with tremendous qualities and he needs to just have the mentality to use those.
“He’s got the technical ability to be an England player, but you’ve got to be fit every week and have the mentality to work every day. His fitness and injuries have been a big issue and probably one of the reasons why he’s flattened out.”