Ben Arfa boost for Newcastle

Newcastle boss Alan Pardew has revealed Hatem Ben Arfa could return from injury before the end of the season.

After 12 weeks out, the Frenchman returned to action earlier this month in the first leg of United's Europa League last-16 tie with Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala, but lasted only 64 minutes after being forced off with a hamstring injury.

The former Marseille winger was then ruled out for the rest of the season, but having returned to France to work on his fitness, Pardew has revealed he may be back to action sooner than planned.

Speaking to the Newcastle Chronicle, Pardew said: "We're getting more optimistic he could be involved again before the end of the season."

Pardew has previously insisted he will not take any risks with Ben Arfa but it would be a major boost for Newcastle if he can return for the run-in as he is a player who the manager feels brings a different dimension to the team.

"He's a massive player at this level. He's our Suarez - he's that different player, someone who in a tight game can create something out of nothing," Pardew said last month.

"He's a fantastic player, tremendous technique and a great mentality to be one of the best players in the world.



"That's what he wants to be. That's his target and all I am trying to do is drive him towards that goal."

Pardew blasts horror tackle

Alan Pardew struggled to contain his anger at Callum McManaman's "awful" tackle on Massadio Haidara in Newcastle's 2-1 defeat at Wigan.

Latics forward McManaman, on his first Premier League start, caused outrage with a reckless knee-high challenge on Haidara, who was reported to be in too much pain to have the injury assessed after the game.

The Newcastle boss later revealed that referee Mark Halsey, who did not even book McManaman, had apologised at half-time for missing the challenge.

Pardew's annoyance was compounded in the final minute when Arouna Kone slotted in the winner after a goalmouth scramble, with the Newcastle players all appealing for handball on Maynor Figueroa.

"It is an awful challenge. The pictures speak for themselves," said Pardew. "I thought it was a bad challenge and I was 60 yards from the incident.

"The players knew because they were on top of it and there was a lot of bad feeling about that incident when it goes unpunished. He (Halsey) said 'If I've missed it I apologise' - that was at half-time.

"My job was to calm the players at half-time, not go looking for retribution, and try to win the second half - which to all intents and purposes we did.

"But again there's a decision at the end where we should have had a corner, it goes up the other end and there's a handball - that is tough to take."

When asked about the extent of Haidara's injury, Pardew added: "The doctor assessed him quickly before he was scuttled away to be assessed later.

"It looks like knee ligaments and bad bruising and that's the best we can hope for."

The Newcastle boss also has concerns over full-back Mathieu Debuchy who limped off with a hamstring injury and was replaced by Haidara.



"We will send him to France (for this week's international duty) for them to assess him but we think he will be on his way back," he said. "We don't think it is a particularly bad tear - a strain hopefully."