Why Was Ben Arfa Not Involved At Swansea?

Hatem Ben Arfa is not on Alan Pardew's Xmas card list for some reason, but when he didn't even make the bench at Swansea - questions were asked. The official line is that Ben Arfa is set to shrug off a bout of illness – and declare himself fit for Newcastle’s visit to Old Trafford on Saturday. The forward missed last night’s 3-0 defeat to Swansea with a virus, while striker Papiss Cisse – who, like Ben Arfa, was a substitute during the Magpies’ four-game winning streak – also sat out the game with a heel problem. Or that's what they tell us. Neither player is happy at warming the bench in recent weeks, and rumours were sure to circulate. Alan Pardew; “We lost Papiss before the game, and we lost Hatem to a virus. Papiss, we’re going to have to wait and see (whether he can feature at Old Trafford). “He couldn’t get his boot on. He was a bit uncomfortable. We’ll see how he goes. “Hatem will be no problem. He was up and about, though he was at home. We checked with him, and he was a lot better. Two more days, and he should be OK.”   Source: Newcastle United Mad

Source: FOOTYMAD