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Mixed messages on Ben Arfa return.

Posted on January 26th, 2011 | 84 Comments |

Ben Arfa: Could be some time yet.
Ben Arfa: Could be some time yet.
As speculation regarding the eargerly awaited return of Newcastle United’s French-Tunisian wing wizard, Hatem Ben Arfa, builds, there have been some mixed messages coming out of the Ben Arfa camp.

Today, the player’s representative, Simon Stainrod, was reported in that well known bastion of quality journalism, The Daily Star, as saying that:

“Hatem is absolutely flying.” adding

“He’s been away to Dubai for a bit of warm weather training and now he’s back in France and training really, really hard.”

However the player himself said in another interview that:

“The doctors told me I should not rush it. We must be rigorous in this regard.”

Ben Arfa’s leg was broken in two places by a vicious “scissor” tackle from Manchester City hatchet man, Nigel De Jong, on 3rd October, 2010. This was just over 3 months and 3 weeks ago, with De Jong breaking the player’s lower leg in two places (tibia and fibula). The average time it takes a broken lower leg (tibia or fibula) to heal is said to be up to around 6 months which is longer than usual as these bones have to support the weight of the whole body. These times can also be even longer with a double break and also if surgical correction is required. However, “healing” and being fully “match fit” and at the top of one’s game to play Premiership football, especially after a double break, can make the recovery process even longer in some cases. There is also the fact, as Ben Arfa’s doctors have hinted at, that rushing a return could be highly counterproductive and foolhardy in the long run.

So despite the encouraging word’s of the players agent, and Ben Arfa being in training at the French National Technical Centre in Clairefontaine; it could still be quite some time before the player makes a return to full first team action, and gets back to being his full self as a player.

If indeed, Hatem does manage to return to the cut and thrust of Premier League action anytime soon, it will be a remarkable achivement.

NUFCBlog Author: workyticket workyticket has written 1079 articles on this blog.

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Posted on by workyticket in category: Hatem Ben Arfa and Injuries and fitness and Interviews and NUFC gossip and speculation and Workyticket , with tags:
Comment on this post

84 Responses

  1. I understand that by placing the damaged limb into The Hadron Collider the healing process can be greatly accelerated. I think I saw this information somewhere on the internet from similar sources to some of the other football news.

  2. Grumpy Old-Toon says:
    January 26, 2011 at 4:47 pm

    “I understand that by placing the damaged limb into The Hadron Collider the healing process can be greatly accelerated.”

    Grumpy, I think you may be referring to a “negative ions” machine or something similar?

  5. Visions of HBA whizzing around parts of Switzerland/France in an underground tunnel just like those slides at Wet n Wild :)

  7. AndyMac says:
    January 26, 2011 at 5:00 pm

    “Visions of HBA whizzing around parts of Switzerland/France in an underground tunnel just like those slides at Wet n Wild”

    It’s a bit faster than “Wet and Wild”, Andy. He’s be gannin’ at almost 700 million miles per hour!

  8. Worky, I think the principle is is that the leg is ripped apart at the subatomic level and then accelerated to just below the speed of light and the subsequent collision mats the bones into a denser more cohesive bond. HBA is powered by a miniature black hole giving him more stamina on the pitch and a higher work rate to boot.

    Thats possibly the negative ion factor you are talking about.

  9. Micky Toon says:
    January 26, 2011 at 5:01 pm

    “Turns out the radgie was going out with the players ex and he didn’t like the way the player had treated her.”

    Aye Micky, they had something about that on SSN not long after the game. It seems to have cropped up again today.

  10. Grumpy Old-Toon says:
    January 26, 2011 at 5:05 pm

    “Worky, I think the principle is is that the leg is ripped apart at the subatomic level and then accelerated to just below the speed of light and the subsequent collision mats the bones into a denser more cohesive bond.”

    So he’d be able to run at 70mph like Steve Austin, Grumpy?

  11. “It’s a bit faster than “Wet and Wild”, Andy. He’s be gannin’ at almost 700 million miles per hour!”

    And I bet there’s some charva in a bodged up saxo or corsa who will tell you his car still beat him away from the lights. :)

  16. I noticed that. A few days ago, a trickle about HBA sayin not to rush things, steady away and that…then all of a sudden, today he’s flying !

    I was talkin to someone yesterday about him playing behind AC eventually, and said then that I thought it’d probably be next season before we saw the best of him…IE, returning to full training first. Then after a few weeks of that, a sub appearance or two? Then it’s gonna take about a half dozen games or so to get match fit and back on the pace.

    Now they’re saying it’ll be a couple of weeks?

  17. “So he’d be able to run at 70mph like Steve Austin, Grumpy?”

    If they sent him around one way and a cheetah around the other then who knows ????

  18. I think it was me, Antmanbee. And I think I put the agent statements in a hierarchy of truthfullness along the lines of:

    1. Lies
    2. Damned lies
    3. Statistics
    4. Tabloid predictions
    5. Anything said by a government spin doctor, Chemical Ali or Katie Price
    6. Whatever comes out of a football agent’s mouth.

  19. Thought it was you Whumpie, but I’ve already mixed you up (with Workyticket) once already today, so I left it ! :0D

    Hearing that on agent statements ! ;0)

  20. Is it just me, or is that pic of him a bit scary? He looks like the proverbial bulldog sucking a wasp, but in this case a rather chavvy bulldog who’s just had a cunning plan to take over the wooorrrrrld! Mwa-ha-ha-ha-haaaaaa!

    Ok, time to go home, I think.

    Whatever happens, I’ll be really chuffed to see wor Benny back.

  21. I look forward to seeing HBA playing just off of AC in a creative/explosive/wandering midfield/forward role.
    :)

  23. Did anyone else hear the ‘pop’ whilst watching the big gorilla de mong break his leg.
    Not the ref, obviously.

  26. ant,
    aye maybe?
    I heard it on tv too, i immediately thought: ‘Uh oh!’.
    Then me heart sunk when he stayed down, that turned into anger as the ref played on.

  27. CLiNT FLiCK says:
    January 26, 2011 at 6:29 pm

    “Then me heart sunk when he stayed down, that turned into anger as the ref played on.”

    He told him to get up as well, Clint.

  28. Oh, cheers Worky…that’s put me mind at rest a bit…:0D

    Remember the wave he did though, lads? In that context, he’ll problies be on the bench for Fulham !

    :0D

  29. In the light of recent events at Sky Sports is anybody here likely to throw up a “Tribute to Andy Gray” thread ?

    If so here’s my contribution.

  30. AndyMac says:
    January 26, 2011 at 6:41 pm

    “In the light of recent events at Sky Sports is anybody here likely to throw up a “Tribute to Andy Gray” thread ?”

    A tribute to Andy Gray’s incorrigible bias against Newcastle United, Andy?

  31. Twas tongue in cheek WT if you looked at the YT clip :)

    I still recall his stupid remark at West Ham after AC had scored the winner from JB’s inch perfect cross

    “As soon as he hit the ball, I said Goal”

    Mark Guthrie begs to differ

    “‘As soon as he hit the ball,’ says Andy Gray, ‘I said goal!’ Funny that Andy,” says Mark Guthrie. “According to the commentary, as soon as he hit the ball, you said absolutely nothing. Either your mic is out of order, or you’re confusing ‘saying’ with ‘thinking’ or ‘as soon as he hit the ball’ with ‘after it went in. Or you’re just talking rubbish. Which is it Andy?

  32. I am glad Andy Gray has been sacked, after his ignorant sexist comments on TV!
    Sky Sports should set an example and give his job to a female presenter!
    Preferably one with really big tits!

  33. To All……….
    Lineswoman Sian Masseys new nickname is ” Just For Men ”
    She was only used once,and now the Gray is Gone…….

  36. AndyMac says:
    January 26, 2011 at 6:57 pm

    “Twas tongue in cheek WT if you looked at the YT clip”

    Aye Andy, I did, but after I made that last comment. Not a bad idea for a ‘blog really, even if it was made in jest!

  38. tom tomb says:
    January 26, 2011 at 6:59 pm

    “I am glad Andy Gray has been sacked, after his ignorant sexist comments on TV!
    Sky Sports should set an example and give his job to a female presenter!
    Preferably one with really big tits!”

    :lol:

    Perhaps there should be a “comment of the day” award on this ‘blog, Tom!

  39. Cheers Worky, Clint, you both ok?

    Aye it could be a good award Worky, I am sick of getting the dick of the day award at home mate!

  42. Keys about us- ‘What will this place be like if they win something? I would love to be here with these fans’

    Must have said it 200 hundred times!

  43. Yup, now Gray’s been sacked, it’s a good time to purge News Int’l – top down starting with the murdochs and not forgetting Cameron and all its sychophants!

  44. Sky have done the world of television football the biggest favour in sacking Gray. His genious for the obvious has got him paid far too much for far too long IMHO and the 5hite he came out with made me want to switch him off more often than not. His ever so obvious bias towards Man Utd was to say the least, pathetic.
    So there he was gone and fcukin GOOD RIDDANCE.

  45. Can’t stand Redknapp much, either. hope he doesn’t get it…

    I would love it, just love it if they gave it to Kammy Kamara, in Gray’s role, and ex-Soccer AM Fenners as host…;0)

  46. Sian Massey was getting some verbal from one of the players during that game and didn’t look at all bovvered.
    As a linesperson (got to be PC gentlemen) she is a fully qualified ref and will be in charge of games at some point, I wonder how polite some comments will be from the inevitable mistakes she will make both from fans and commentators.

    HBA looks a bit like the geezer with the creepy smile on the Russell Howard show.

    Four and a bit days to go guys!!

  57. tom,
    it’s handed out by the hour, on the hour round wor hoose.
    :)

    Porciestreet,
    me too mate.
    Always liked him from when he got his break with setanta.
    Comes across really well, without trying.
    No brown nosing either.
    Solid football gadjy.

  58. Whumpie, C18, Chemical Ali was hung was he not, so he would have to be an undead spin doctor. Although thinking about it most of them probably are, K.P. is largely silicon so the non undead ones are either Cloned (most politicians) constructs or aliens.

    Just my mental meanderings! As I catch up with the gossip.

  59. ice,
    i’m way too young for grandbairns mate. :)
    Looking to come up soon though, didn’t pan out ower xmas.
    Bit dangerous with the little ‘un in the motor.
    She loves the space up there.
    Maybe in the nursery holidays though.

    You alreet mate?
    All mended?

  61. Brilliant comment from Robbie Savage last night.
    When asked how did the referee not see that was a penalty?
    His answer was the referee had his eyes shut. Genius
    It was the most blatant penalty ever it wasn’t just a foul by Rafael more of an assualt

  63. CLINT lol heard you were bit of a boy when young G/Kids :)
    aye canny noo,off to malta 29th for a wk,watch some proper footy lol

  65. Lesh, C43. There is an online group. action@38degrees.org.uk
    who are running petitions to stop Murdoch getting full control of Sky plus other worthwhile causes.

    Worth a visit if you want to try to stop the Big Brother juggernaut.

  66. Icedog, lovely place Malta, we were lucky enough to be there during a festival called White Night when they have a massive street party that lasts all night in Valletta. Most of the Islands population turns up for it, everything is open and the atmosphere is brilliant it was either September or October.

  67. Bit quiet on here at present so I’m off to kill some Barrow Wights on LOTRO.

    I’m ToonMan if anyone else is participating and in Bree

  68. GRUMPY aye mate know all the festivals,my 2nd home like,
    very nice people,son hopeing to go live there soon

  75. Didn’t play LOTRO, been watching WH/Brum instead. Practically half an ex toon team playing. Shan’t mention score in case anyone recording it.

    Any Maltese footballers in EPL?

  78. TF,
    your little quip about icedog’s spelling.
    Couldn’t work out if you were taking the piss or deadly serious.

  79. The more you read the Stainrod thing about Benny the more fluffy it seems. He’s flying/hard work ahead tho/fit as a lop, etc…but is he jogging/running/kicking…?

    All seems to lack a bit of substance, other than an offsetter to the news the other day re: long, hard roads but champin’ at the bit.

    Advance PR exercise for ‘failure’ in the transfer market??

  80. Toon_Factor says:
    January 26, 2011 at 8:59 pm

    “Icedog

    You constant misspelling of the word ‘hoping’ is really starting to annoy me.”

    Toon, rudeness can be far more annoying than petty mistakes in other peoples grammar, spelling or syntax. ;-)

  82. Cheers for the sky link Grump – more on the greater the influence although we haven’t a cat in hells chance of gettin a result; the con-dem junta’s got to toe the line.
    And now Key’s gone, it lends itself to the Mackems – weys keys is thee’s. !

  83. Ice/worky – did we not used to have a malteser on our books who was gonna be a fantastic player? – his name was ray xuereb or something like that? I divvent think he even had a game for the reserves! – ffs what happened to him? ( or is this all a dream – I can’t sleep – ffs it’s ten to five in the morning and I’m reading this shite!!