Newcastle United boss Chris Hughton has spoken of his devastation at losing Hatem Ben Arfa to a broken leg.
The France forward is facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines after suffering a double leg fracture during Sunday's 2-1 defeat at Manchester City.
Ben Arfa, who joined the Magpies from Marseille during the summer, was left stricken by a Nigel de Jong tackle at Eastlands.
"I am absolutely devastated for Hatem," admitted Hughton."To get injured at any time is bad enough, but to suffer such an horrendous injury as a double leg break is sickening for the lad.
"After playing only a handful of games for us, scoring a cracking goal at Everton and doing fantastically well, it's a cruel and devastating blow for Hatem, and for the club as a whole.
"All the lads are devastated for him as well. I know many of them have already been in touch with him to check he's doing okay, and that's great.
"On the plus side, I am delighted to hear from the hospital that the operation this morning was successful and now it's just a case of nursing him back to fitness."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
