Newcastle's Hatem Ben Arfa has been ruled out of the remainder of the club's North American tour after sustaining an ankle injury, a statement said Thursday.
Frenchman Ben Arfa, who missed virtually all of last season after suffering a double leg fracture, was stretchered off during the Magpies 0-0 draw with Sporting Kansas on Wednesday.
A statement on Newcastle's website later confirmed Ben Arfa would be flown back to Tyneside as the club seeks to assess the full extent of the injury.
"Hatem Ben Arfa sustained an injury to his left ankle in a tackle during the club's friendly against Sporting Kansas on Wednesday evening and went to a local hospital for a precautionary X-ray," the statement said.
"Consequently he will be leaving the club's US tour tomorrow and the injury will be reassessed over the next 48 hours."
Newcastle will now be anxiously hoping the injury to Ben Arfa is not serious. The Frenchman is a key part of manager Alan Pardew's plans for the upcoming season after joining the club on a permanent basis in January.
Ben Arfa, who initially joined Newcastle on loan from Marseille last year, missed most of the last campaign after suffering a horrific double leg fracture in a rugged challenge by Manchester City's Nigel de Jong on October 3.
Source: AFP
