Just got back from a visit to the Doctor, and I see there’ some really bad news on Ben Arfa today – that he has to have surgery and he will be out for the season – and to think we thought he might be able to play on Sunday.
Ben Arfa – will have operation on hamstring – out for the season
The French International will have to undergo on his hamstring, after breaking down in last week’s UEFA Europa League round against FC Anji Makhachkala, and that was his first game back since early December.
His last game before that was at Fulham, and he had a similar reaction after that game, which kept him our for almost three months, so there is obviously something not right with that hamstring of his – but nevertheless it’s a big blow to Newcastle, and we know the lad wanted to play in the Europa League too.
Manager Alan Pardew broke the bad news today on BBC Radio Newcastle:
“The news is not so good. He gives us that X factor. In a game like last night [the second leg against Anji], where he could just open the door for us, we haven’t got that luxury.”
Newcastle were drawn against Benfica this morning in the quarter finals of the Europa League, and it makes a certain Sylvain Marveaux even more important to the side, to open up opposing defenses.
But it must also be a blow for Ben Arfa himself – which means he played only two games for Newcastle since he first injured his hamstring in late November in the game at St. James’ Park against Maritimo.
Hopefully the lad will be OK by pre-season, and can start playing again then – when Newcastle look to have an awesome squad for next season – and an assault on the top six in the Premier League.
Ben Arfa can help us big time with that goal.
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54 comments so far
q8igeordie
Mar 15, 2013 at 4:41 PM
Comment #1It might be a good thing .. I dont know .. Im trying to look at the bright side
Dagwoodz
Mar 15, 2013 at 4:41 PM
Comment #2Repost:
Dok,
Ibiza is similar to South Padre in that it’s a haven for spring breakers…
how’s the scenery out there this year Ibiza?
Magforlife
Mar 15, 2013 at 4:42 PM
Comment #3Why does Kieron Dyer come to mind ?
Tsunki
Mar 15, 2013 at 4:44 PM
Comment #4HBA out for the rest of the season. In other news, Atlantis sank, Stalin is dead and we landed on the moon. 😀
I think this puts paid to the idea of Hatem moving for another season. Right now I doubt we could raise his bus fare let alone 10-15m as some have bandied about.
Ibizatoon - Back by popular demand
Mar 15, 2013 at 4:45 PM
Comment #5When did this news come out? 🙂
Hope everything went well at the Doctors Ed.
Ibizatoon - Back by popular demand
Mar 15, 2013 at 4:46 PM
Comment #6Tsunki…Not so sure about that. Fancy Carroll to get injured again this season and then it’s on for a swap deal 🙂
Ibizatoon - Back by popular demand
Mar 15, 2013 at 4:46 PM
Comment #7Sorry, what I meant to say is, a friend of mine who has contacts at the club…..
Dagwoodz
Mar 15, 2013 at 4:46 PM
Comment #8Tsunki,
I think there’d be plenty of clubs who would put a cheeky 7-8M bid on him. Would be a steal if he doesn’t have any more long term injuries. All in all, I think you’re right though. This doesn’t ensure his staying at NUFC, but it makes it very much more likely.
santonthenewmaldini
Mar 15, 2013 at 4:47 PM
Comment #9Give Marveux the no 10 role till the end of the season we rarely create from the wings so just make us solid and rely on him to provide the ammunition he has the most assists for us this season considering he has hardly played from the start or in his favourite position he has got to be worth a shot as a midfield trio of Tiote, Jonas and Sissoko did not make hardly any opportunities
Sissoko is decent as a no 10 but does not have the final ball that Marveux does Sissoko would actually be awesome as a right winger or played further back like Diame for West Ham where he can win the ball and then break
Poor Arfa though great player but injuries have ruined his chance of success this season
Cant even recall Sammy if we wanted as guess what?!?Hes injured as well!!!
seasons
Mar 15, 2013 at 4:48 PM
Comment #10could ultimately be the best news. get the op out the way and rested for next season. keep him rapped in cotton wool over the summer and he’ll be fresh for the assault on the top 6 with an extra few in to bolster the quality
Dagwoodz
Mar 15, 2013 at 4:49 PM
Comment #11You didn’t need to clarify Ibiza…we all know you’re the ultimate ITK here on the blog…
Ibizatoon - Back by popular demand
Mar 15, 2013 at 4:49 PM
Comment #12Santon..Sammy is injured?
Tsunki
Mar 15, 2013 at 4:49 PM
Comment #13Magforlife @ 3 – because you hadn’t thought it through, maybe? The comparison is pretty rubbish, Dyer was a bigheaded toerag who loved to hang about with jenas and bramble and show off his wealth in clubs and when his useless body would not conform to his talent, he carved a career out of past promise and raking in wages on the sick. Ben Arfa seems to genuinely want to play and I can’t imagine a player as ambitious as him trying to miss out of the last stages of the EL. I think his injury is a throwback to his leg break and he has tried to disguise its severity in order to return to playing.
Ibizatoon - Back by popular demand
Mar 15, 2013 at 4:52 PM
Comment #14Tsunki @ 13…Subtle opener there mate. Had a stressful day? 🙂
toonarmydownsouth
Mar 15, 2013 at 4:52 PM
Comment #15Tsunki
So to keep our best players we just need to cripple them!!
Ibiza
I told you I had an evil plan to finish the little f uker benny off mwuhaha
Scottiedog
Mar 15, 2013 at 4:53 PM
Comment #16Ben Arfa seems Jinxed!?!?! Another Owen & Dyer!!
Robby Bobson
Mar 15, 2013 at 4:54 PM
Comment #17Boredom at work has drove me onto the blog for first time in a long time…recently weve looked good but missed that little something and thats hatem, gutted hes out.
Was at the game last night and the place was buzzin. Sorry but where are the people who say pards isnt good enough for european football/long ball merchant now?!
We only looked under threat when we (tiote!) was sloppy in playing the ball in out own half, other times we looked comfortable against a very very good side.
Even before the red card our full backs were always pushing on, we lacked a touch of class at timea, but we were solid, tried to keep possession and limited them.
Jonas deserves credit, was great in CM, started to control the game at times, shouldnt be there in prem but in europe seems like a good role.
Anita looked very tired, lack of games must be getting to him.
Perch has been alot better in CM than cheicl recently hope pards is brave enough to do the right thing.
santonthenewmaldini
Mar 15, 2013 at 4:55 PM
Comment #18@Ibiza
Yeah hamstring strain missed last 2 games for Boro I think played his debut and the next game and is now out
Might be back next week
There has got to be something wrong with our training ground or way we train players cause we get a lot of players with hamstring muscle injuries especially the youngsters that we bring through part of the reason they dont develop the way they should is because they are constantly injured it cant just be a coincidence
Could maybe recall Brad Inman he seems to be doing well??
In fact what has happened to Amalfitino?!?!Did Carr the wonder scout get that one wrong?!?He’s not injured and is not out on loan so guessing he must not be good enough
Tsunki
Mar 15, 2013 at 4:55 PM
Comment #19Ibiza – ha ha yes I should reel it in sorry Catchy, sorry Magforlife, sorry everyone yep its me getting all bitchy. I do have a crap headache and I am knackered so yeah. Not a good one today but hey its all over, weekend coming Wigan game won and we can gear up for Benfica etc.
Ooh ooh ooh – does the mackem match get moved btw?
Ibizatoon - Back by popular demand
Mar 15, 2013 at 4:56 PM
Comment #20Tads…You must be proud. Overnight he’s gone from being a maybe for Sunday to out for the season. If he dares to try and play again you’ll just to completely finish him off.
jesperfuglsang - captain of the lemon crew
Mar 15, 2013 at 4:57 PM
Comment #21Okay…when did this happen to Benny?
…I want answers!…Ibiza spill the beans!
Tsunki
Mar 15, 2013 at 4:59 PM
Comment #22Jesper – back from the moon then? 🙂
I have a joke for you –
Marcelino!
I laughed and laughed at that one, priceless!
TheToonKing
Mar 15, 2013 at 5:00 PM
Comment #23I’m really getting fed up with Benny.
The sad thing is he’s absence could be the difference in us possibly winning the Europa league or not.
Slim chances for us to do that with no Debuchy, Gouffran and Benny.
He’s been with us since 2010 and played 43 games. Unacceptable.
Sell him in the summer I say and get someone in the same mold in who can play 2 games back to back.
Dagwoodz
Mar 15, 2013 at 5:01 PM
Comment #24@Robby Bobson
Agree with you about Perch. I think he’s done more than enough to justify his place in the team as it is now.
I wouldn’t be too opposed to seeing someone like Siem De Jong come in, push Sissoko back into Tiote’s spot. Sell Tiote, have Perch as the back up to Sissoko. Combine that with a RM/LM, move Gouffy to the middle (where he apparently prefers to play), and I think that will place us very well situated for next season.
Unlikely, but it’s nice to dream…
Ibizatoon - Back by popular demand
Mar 15, 2013 at 5:01 PM
Comment #25Tsunki…Don’t be sorry, it gave me a smile (although the people it was directed at may be quivering in a corner somewhere).
How can today not be a good day?
No idea on the mackem game, who decides? The clubs, FA?
Santon…Oh dear, any idea how long he’s out for? Don’t think we need to be re-calling anyone, Arfa wasn’t back in the team yet anyway, so for now we’ll be alright.
We were told not to expect to see anything of Amalfitino this season, but it is odd that we’ve heard absolutely nothing…at all.
Twatter
Mar 15, 2013 at 5:01 PM
Comment #26Seems fishy to me. Very fishy.
El_Fenomeno
Mar 15, 2013 at 5:01 PM
Comment #27It’s funny how there was an obsession on Demba Ba’s so called “dodgy” knee, and nothing ever happened to it while at NUFC, in the mean time, Hatem gets injury after injury…
pizzicatochan
Mar 15, 2013 at 5:02 PM
Comment #28Maybe it’s not a bad thing for HBA. I’d rather rest him till he’s actually okay again. He’s really an injury prone per record, but I am sure he would be able to come back great. Man, it’s already mid-March!
toonbrother
Mar 15, 2013 at 5:02 PM
Comment #29shame. on the plus side he’ll probably still be be with us at the start of next season. Our defence appears to have gotten stronger since MYM replaced colocinni. Weve only conceded 2 goals with him on the pitch and one of those was a penalty. If we can sort our our attack we could have a special finish to this season
pizzicatochan
Mar 15, 2013 at 5:03 PM
Comment #30TheToonKing, all blames go to Nigel De Jong.
pizzicatochan
Mar 15, 2013 at 5:03 PM
Comment #31toonbrother, maybe that’s how we resist Liverpool?
Ibizatoon - Back by popular demand
Mar 15, 2013 at 5:04 PM
Comment #32Jesper….Don’t hold me to this, but what I’ve heard is that the medical team told Pardew he wasn’t ready, but he just laughed, kicked Hatem off his crutches and told him to play.
Robby….It’s usually the other way round for me, get bored of the blog and do some work 🙂
It is a lot more happy around here at the minute and those calling for heads are biding their time for now.
Dagwoodz
Mar 15, 2013 at 5:08 PM
Comment #33@Ibiza…
it is happier here…I mean even toonbrother has reeled back the negativity. The next thing you know, robin will be on here espousing the virtues of Pardew
Diggedydaws
Mar 15, 2013 at 5:09 PM
Comment #34I still reckon Lpool will come in for Colo an he’ll end up there next season.
toonbrother
Mar 15, 2013 at 5:10 PM
Comment #35@pizzi i was thinking PSG. We should be able to resist liverfool under normal circumstances imho.
santonthenewmaldini
Mar 15, 2013 at 5:11 PM
Comment #36@Ibiza
Think its a week or 2 he is injured for
Hope we can stun Wigan this weekend as that will be us safe as a lot of the teams we play are going to look to park the bus and defend for 90 minutes its going to be difficult for us to break these teams down without Arfa
Was looking forward to the Sunderland game as with a fit Arfa we would have pounded them at home but it might be a tight affair now
toonarmydownsouth
Mar 15, 2013 at 5:12 PM
Comment #37Got to laugh at someone who’s name is mainly consisted of the word tw@ says something smells fishy!
Ibiza
It’s okay I’ve paid ranger a fiver to run him over, at first ranger said he wasn’t sure i was paying him enough, but I paid him in pennies and showed him could spell his name with them!
Ibizatoon - Back by popular demand
Mar 15, 2013 at 5:12 PM
Comment #38Dag…Robin has recently turned his attention to posters more than Pardew…so the mood is certainly changing 🙂
Diggedydaws…Really? Why’s that?
Dagwoodz
Mar 15, 2013 at 5:12 PM
Comment #39Colo to Liverfools? That’s a new one. Pretty sure he’ll end up in South America. Quite a distance from Merseyside.
nico
Mar 15, 2013 at 5:13 PM
Comment #40Very disappointing news. Marvo has been excellent lately so hopefully he’ll stay fit and do what Arfa does. In fact Marvo has looked a lot like Arfa in the last few games and has an end product.
Would we sell Arfa and Tiote for a combined 30 mil? Would that be good or bad??