Ben Arfa Return

He returns to training next monday now I don't know if this is light training or not. However my main point of the article is if it is not light training then if he plays 2 or 3 reserve games or behind closed doors games then he may be fit for the bench against Blackpool.

He has been training in a rehabilitation centre in France for 6 hours a day working on rebuilding his strength in his leg but I remember reading that he is in an excellent shape. If he is then not fit for Blackpool and he plays another reserve game then surely he must be fit for the bench against Liverpool.

I don't want him to be risked until he is 100% but surely now we are edging closer to the return of a man who we have sorely missed for most of the season. So do you guys think he will play again this season?

 

Maybe. Worth a shout for the Man United game?

 

Sounded to me reading the article last week that it was probably likely to be Birmingham at home, at the earliest.

 

If we've already secured survival by then, there's little point rushing him back. On the other hand, if we're struggling then it'd be worth playing him.

 

I would be on edge with him and paul scholes on the same pitch. The guy loves the colour yellow!

 

As much as I would like to see HBA in a Newcastle shirt again the last thing we need is to rush the lad.

 

I hope he plays again this season but there have been so many dates on his comeback and 99% have been wrong, so i cannot help but think that it'll be at a later date, as in the last 3/4 games of the season and even then i'll think he'll be on the bench, i hope i'm proved wrong though

 

Dont think he would return straight to full training, light training to start then full training then as you say reserve games and maybe back on the pitch before the season's over.

 

I'm getting quite board of the Ben Arfa situation. Apparently he was going to be back at the end of February, why does it keep getting delayed? He's hardly been in the country. If you'd said at the time he'll be out until April, then fine. But there was all this talk of him making a shock return and he's only just resumed training. I hate to say it but I've got a bad feeling about the whole thing, either he lacks commitment or has major fitness issues. I hope I'm wrong though.

 

Or the media blows things up out of proportion.....

least likely one though

 

Yes Sky Sports, saying he is targeting Wolves game. Wrong as usual.

 

Pardew said he was pencilled in for Saturday. His surgeon said he should be playing in early March. It's taken almost until April for him to even start training.

 

I think he's just been overambitious and us wanting him back so much believed he could pull off some kind of amazing recovery, then recently there was the Tunisia situation, where we delayed his return further by granting him compassionate leave.

 

This. and there was a setback with his recovery as well

 

Really?! Didn't know that, weird situation then.

 

Pardew: "You'd like to think he's got every chance of playing against Wolves," he told The Chronicle. "The Stoke game is probably too soon for him.

Surgeon: "People from Newcastle have been told about this. They were in contact with us at the time and are still in contact now. If each step is followed properly, the player should be able to resume playing early in March."