Not great news for Newcastle United, whose preseason tour of the United States had already been interrupted by Joey Barton, Nile Ranger and Yohan Cabaye being refused entry visas. That episode was annoying, but adding injury to insult is the news that Hatem ben Arfa was stretchered off the field during the team's friendly against Sporting Kansas City on Wednesday evening.
The extent of Ben Arfa's injuries are currently unknown, with the club releasing a statement announcing his recall and an assessment timeline:
Ben Arfa will be leaving the club's US tour tomorrow and the injury will be reassessed over the next 48 hours.
The midfielder, 24, has only managed to play in four matches for Newcastle after seeing his season curtailed by a broken leg dealt out by Dutch menace Nigel de Jong. Thanks to that, there's significant worry about Ben Arfa's long-term health, but right now it seems unlikely that there's been any repeat of that particular gruesome injury.
For more on Hatem Ben Arfa, visit SB Nation's Newcastle blog Coming Home Newcastle.