French winger to undergo surgery on hamstring.
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Newcastle United were left reeling last night after it emerged that midfielder Hatem Ben Arfa will miss the rest of the season with injury according to talkSport.
The French midfielder recently returned to the Magpies side in the first leg of their Europa League last 16 tie against Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala last week.
It was Ben Arfa’s first appearance in 12 weeks for the Premier League side and it was hoped that the winger would be available for the end of season run-in.
Those hopes have been dashed after it emerged Ben Arfa is set to undergo surgery on his hamstring.
That means the Geordies will be without the French winger for their Europa League quarter-final game against Benfica. Newcastle qualified for the next round of the tournament after securing a 1-0 aggregate victory over Anzhi.
Ben Arfa has been one Newcastle’s best performers since arriving from Ligue 1 side Marseille in 2010.
The player’s performances have attracted the interest of a host of top European sides and reports in recent weeks had suggested that Premier League sides Arsenal and Liverpool were considering a summer bid for the player.
Big spending French club PSG were also linked with bringing the player back to his homeland.