Newcastle winger Hatem Ben Arfa faces being axed from the squad after reports claim boss Alan Pardew is angry with the condition he returned from the summer break in.
The Frenchman was once described by Pardew as being his “match winner” but now he faces not going on the Magpies’ pre-season trip to New Zealand.
According to reports made in Le Parisien, Pardew was furious with the physical condition of Ben Arfa and is thought to have been fined in the region of £1600 for weighing 1.5kg too much.
Reports claim that the Newcastle star denied allegations he claimed tha extra weight but Pardew saw the issue differently and is believed to be considering axing him from the squad.
Newcastle have been very active in the transfer window so far this summer, securing the deals of Remy Cabella, Siem de Jong, Emmanuel Riviere and Dutch international defender Daryl Janmaat.
The club have so far refued to comment of the current situation with Ben Arfa.
By Phil Wellbrook
