Agent: Ben Arfa out for 6-12 weeks?

The agent of Hatem Ben Arfa has claimed that the talented Frenchman could be out for anywhere between 6-12 weeks thanks to the ankle injury sustained against Sporting Kansas City the other day.

Ben Arfa was on the end of a reckless challenge from Roger Espinoza which resulted in the 24-year-old having to be stretchered off with reports soon suggesting that he had been taken straight to hospital in an ambulance. Fortunately those reports were wrong (thanks Lee Ryder!) and that wasn't the case at all, although the injury is deemed as severe enough to end Ben Arfa's participation in the the pre-season tour of the US.

Ben Arfa will now be assessed by the Newcastle medical staff as he flies home from the States on crutches and with his leg in a protective cast. As things stood it all appeared to be precautionary, but I personally don't like the sound of what his agent has been saying. Speaking Football.fr, Michel Ouazine had this to say:

"We will go to Newcastle, we will take stock. I think, knowing a little what happens on this type of injury, it will take 48 hours because there is a huge swelling. Then you know it can take three months, or it may be a month and a half. We can not decide yet. He is touched but not sunk"

The wonders of Google Translate eh? I have to use it as my knowledge of the French language stands at pretty much zero, so if anyone wants to have a better go at translating it then you can do so by clicking here.

Until I hear something official I'll not get too down about it. To me, Ouazine is suggesting that 6-12 weeks is what it could take, not what it will take, and given what his client has been through in the last ten months perhaps he is erring on the side of caution.

I'm hopeful that we'll have him back towards the end of pre-season, or at least for the Arsenal game. Rumour has it that there is some damage to his ankle ligaments which is the same injury as Shane Ferguson has, and he is out for three weeks apparently so fingers crossed it's closer to that than the 6-12 weeks mooted by his agent.

As ever, time will tell.