The defender had knee surgery in the summer, after Roma and AC Milan were said to be keen to take him back to Italy.
No deal happened, in fact neither club made an offer, despite huge media speculation.
But Alan Pardew has got Newcastle playing a different system that is working very well without the over-lapping full-back.
Alan Pardew: “Davide hasn’t been forgotten by us, because we know we’ve got an outstanding talent there.
“He’s on the way back, and has done some lengthy strides. By the start of January, I expect to see Davide in and around the team.
“I don’t think it was career threatening or anything like that, but the rehab was always going to take a bit longer than we thought."