Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew has said that midfielder Hatem Ben Arfa will remain on the sidelines until the New Year at least.
The 25-year-old Frenchman has been suffering with a hamstring injury in recent weeks and will continue his recovery for the remainder of December.
"He is out for next week and probably the whole Christmas period," The Telegraph quotes Pardew as saying. "It was touch and go about how serious it was.
"There is a danger he could tear the hamstring and if he did that he would be out for two or three months, whereas if we do it the right way and be sensible about it, it may only be three weeks. Obviously that is the route it looks like we are going to take."
Newcastle are currently two points above the relegation zone in 15th in the Premier League.
