Ben Arfa and Gosling won’t be fit until next season.

Delays for Benny, and Dan the Man....
It looks as though Newcastle fans will have to wait until next season before we see two of this seasons recruits in any steady run of games for the club.

Alan Pardew revealed yesterday that Hatem Ben Arfa had suffered a setback as he stepped up his training on his return from a double leg break meaning that any hope of a late season cameo role has all been dashed. I have to say I’m not surprised the lad has had a setback as he’s been out seven months, which is a long time in fairness and setbacks do happen.

Now I’ve just seen news about another long-term injury absentee, Dan Gosling, that claims that he will not be back in action until next season. On his newly created Twitter account he claims that it will be next season before he is back in action as he keeps up picking up niggles during his recovery. Again, understandable when you consider that he has been out for over a year now.

It’s a shame really as Gosling, like Ben Arfa, had been pencilled in for a return this season. Granted they would likely have been fleeting appearances, but it would have been nice for the fans to see them in action and for the player himself to get some action on the pitch.

I’m not surprised by it though and was half-prepared for the pair of them to be out for the whole of the season. At least people can stop getting their hopes up now and the players can take the time to make a full recovery and be fresh for next season.

It seems that injuries are becoming more and more prevalent at Newcastle. We’ve always struggle with injuries to be fair, but it’s the lack of depth in this current squad that exposes them. To be fair, that lack of depth may well be part of the cause of the injuries aswell as we tend to need to play players regardless rather than rest them every now and again.

Fortunately we are safe and only have three games left of this season. Sure it would be nice to push up the league and pick up points in the last few games, but the nuts of it is that we have achieved what we set out to achieve – safety. You never know, we could still pick up points along the way….

Starting at home to Birmingham on Saturday!

About toonsy

A lifelong Newcastle fan and current webmaster of this very 'blog who has the sole aim of creating a place by Newcastle United fans, for Newcastle United fans.

41 thoughts on “Ben Arfa and Gosling won’t be fit until next season.

  1. Bummer…but it’s for the best in the long term.

    I can’t wait to see them in the team next season. It’ll be like two new signings…. 😉

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  2. I hope we get more playing time from the players we buy this summer than we have from the last four or five signings.

    Bad luck or bad management? Probably a bit of both.

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  3. Maybe we in the US will be lucky to see them in preseason. Still too bad not to offer a bit of applause as they take to the field this season.

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  4. @toonsy et al

    You’s were all pretty silent on steve wraiths comment about his belief the wage cap is in the region of £20k.
    I’ve spoke to steve on many occasions and he knows several of the players well.

    As I’ve maintained my estimate by sources, press releases and talk ins, is £30-£35.

    No where near the £50k yous all believe.

    What say yous?

    Off to work but will be checking up. 😉

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  5. @bobby

    I think you should give it a rest… 😉

    The wage cap is the wage cap (but I’m not even convinced the club have officially confirmed there is a wage cap although I’m happy to stand corrected).

    It may have impact on player recruitment I.e. we probably won’t see your Michael Owens, Mark Vidukas or Geremis with either big transfer fees & colossal wages coming in…

    The likes of Toite, Ben Afra, Gosling, Nolan & Barton (apparently) were happy to sign contracts so assuming we have signings like them then I couldn’t give a **** if there’s a wage cap.

    Maybe the wage cap is something that should be reviewed (increased/decreased/remain as is) depending our performances in the league etc

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  6. Wasn’t Steve wraith’s nearest fwiend in the whole wide world on 26k a week though? Andy carrol in case people don’t know…

    And do we honestly believe Ben arfa threw in champions league fotball and dropped his wage by 40k a week to join here?

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  7. I still maintain, what makes you think the players know?

    Ever been involved in a work based environment? Staff chat and rumours/hearsay are rife. How can you sign players like Tiote and B.Arfa on long term deals and anyone else you bring in gets 20k per week?

    If there is a wage cap already in place….it isn’t 20k!

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  8. @witters
    Give it a rest?

    Dont think so. It’s one of the most important issues that affects speculation on transfers.
    Pointless looking at £10m strikers if the wage cap is so low.

    @toonsy
    I thought Carroll was on £28k but who knows.
    I do know Wraith knows Carroll well, so he may be more accurate than me but certainly more accurate than you? 😕

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  9. Bobby – personally I thought Carroll was on 25 a week so obvioulst me and you aren’t too far out in our knowledge 😉

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  10. @bobby

    I didn’t for one second think you’d give it a rest…only a complete ban from this site would do that!! Toonsy??? 😉

    Personally I’ll look at each transfer on it’s merit & I think the club will (should) do that….but agree it could be stumbling block but Shen I think Ben Afra, Tiote & Gosling I think we can Get good players on a reasonable wage.

    Having that, we won’t be told officially what the wage cap, what the transfer fee or wages of any incoming/renewing player so it’s all speculation.

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  11. Steve Wraith knows the same as all of us…**** all, £20k? laughable. Taylor and Tiote wouldn’t have signed new contracts, Nolan, Barton and Jose wouldn’t even consider talks at that, as Toonsy said Benny wouldn’t have taken such a huge wage drop, Campbell wouldn’t sit on the bench for that. 🙄 🙄 🙄

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  12. It’s probably a blessing in disguise, that they won’t play again this season.

    I’d rather have them fully fit for August with a pre-season under their belt, than them come on for a couple of minutes here and there at the end of this season because knowing our luck, they’d get injured!

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  13. I will be fair to Booby though – I can confirm he knows and talks to players at the club.

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  14. Ban???
    For making relevant and important points? 🙄

    That would be silly and childish wouldn’t it. 🙄

    Democracy I say. 😎

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  15. Bobby am not saying your wrong but I would be surprised if any players spoke to others about what their wages are. And I would hate to think that our players were talking out of shop.
    Do you really believe our wage cap is £20k ??

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  16. I really cannot see a wage cap of £20k to be honest – that woould be be pretty unworkable – the same as I cannot see it being £50k either though, probably somewhere in the middle.

    Think the club need to concentrate on increasing turnover instead of capping salaries. This should be one of the biggest clubs in Europe financially, or at least it has the potential to be, but for some reason tweedle dee and tweedle dum seem to be bothered.

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  17. Here is a question?
    What transfer target has rejected NUFC because of the wage cap in the past few transfer windows?
    Apart from Carrol asking for 80k a week, we have not missed out on anyone because of it, from my limited memory.
    Starbob, you seem determined to bring this subject up on every post, give it a rest fella.

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  18. @big Dave
    I have no doubt whatsoever that the players know exactly what each are on. I don’t believe it’s as low as £20k as I estimated £30-£35k but I would assume Wraith who I know has more insight than me and from what I’ve read on this site, more than all.

    @witters
    Thankyou for the compliment. 😉

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  19. When we are going on about a wage cap, I have no idea what he is on exactly, but I know Campbell is on BIG money. A relative of mine was overseeing the new contract of one of the young players at Charlton with the player and his agent, the agent is also campbell’s agent, it was the day he signed for us. As campbells contract was so big and the agent got a % of it as his fee, he couldn’t be bothered to discuss the young lads contact anymore that day and tried to force the issue to rush it off or look at it another time, he had just banked so much from sol’s deal. So no way is he just on £20-£30k, I reckon has to be several tines that

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  20. @stu79
    You say;
    Think the club need to concentrate on increasing turnover instead of capping salaries. This should be one of the biggest clubs in Europe financially, or at least it has the potential to be, but for some reason tweedle dee and tweedle dum seem to be bothered.

    I totally agree and when I suggest that we should be more ambitious I get bombarded with remarks which suggest it’s wrong to consider us to be so ambitious as we are not a top 4 side.
    The potential of this club has never been achieved in it’s entire history and was it not for Shepherd and Hall appointing the wrong managers who wasted tens of millions we may have been there now.

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  21. @Aussie
    I bring it up because it’s important.

    I maintain the club has swung the financial pendulum of restraint too far the other way.

    The reason I say it’s important is because their is so much speculation from fans like you who believe we are going to sign some decent players who I maintain are out of our wage bracket.

    You may not think it’s important but I believe it’s instrumental in stifling our future growth and why the like of Barton and Jose are unsettled .

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  22. bobby agree with you@27 but as for Wraith did he not say that it was from reports he’d read he assumed it was £20k(don’t know which reports he’s read at that low), therefore he knows **** all just guessing like the rest of us, you’d think he’d at least try an educated guess tho…..as I’ve said £20k is laughable and as you’ve indicated you don’t even believe it yourself. If there’s a wage cap at all(can anyone prove there is?) then it’s more likely to be were you estimated imo and I still believe they’ll pay more(within reason) for the right player. “If” they manage to enforce these new financial rules then wages and fees will have to come down anyway and as you say, “If” Ashley or preferably A.N.Other realises the potential of this club then we should be able to compete with anyone 😀

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  23. Bobby….a quick question as I know you’re extremely busy at work 😉 how do you think a player in the French league is out of our wage bracket yet you’d go for Bellamy who’s on a reported £80k a week?

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  24. @Richie

    Do you really believe a 32 yr old Bellamy would expect £80m?
    Come on be serious. 😕

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  25. No I don’t, nor did I say that but going off what you think we pay then are you saying someone who still has 2 years left on his(reported)£80k pw salary will take a £50kpw ish pay cut? 😯

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  26. Richie spot on I said before that it wouldn’t surprise me if the club had a rough cap of say £30-35k for average squad players, but if the right type of players are available the club would be prepared to pay proper wages

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  27. Dave…Aye it just depends how much “proper” wages fat man is prepared to pay 😕

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  28. Back on topic!
    We do seem to have an extraordinarily high rate of injuries in training and setbacks to recovery from injuries.
    Does the club need to review its coaching régime and its medical staff.
    I wonder if the club medics learn their arts under Adolph Eichmann!

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  29. Do we though lesh, or do you we just notice more because it’s our team? I know the scum had a sh!tload a few weeks back.
    Gosling was injured when we got him and along with Benny I would have expected setbacks with them anyway. Broken arms are unlikely to have owt to do with the way they are training, just one of those freaky things/accidents……unless you get the baseball bat treatment for being late 😉

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  30. Bobby half the time I don’t even get what you’re arguing for.

    You want Newcastle United to be ambitious and go after some good players, and when we talk about good players such as Gerviniho or Gameiro then you’re all over it with “no chance of bringing them in blah blah wages.” As almost everyone has said, the wage cap is definitely more than 20-25k and i’d suggest theres a fair few players on more than your estimate of 30-35, Barton, Colo, and as people have said Arfa wouldn’t have dropped that much just to force a move here. Lets just see what happens in the summer eh.

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  31. Yer probaby right richie – we do see more in our own.
    But, could the relapses be the result of applying the wrong rehab programmes?

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  32. Lesh I dont think we can expect players to comeback from longterm injuries without having setbacks, as was said I just think we notice it more because its our team.
    I have heard others say that pards must be flogging the **** out of them and then rushing them back to early I dont buy into that. I even heard Pards being blamed for Williamson broken arm but then again Pards is an easy target.

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  33. Just finished work.
    Loads of issues to follow up with your replies.
    Probably too late on this thread.

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