Ben Arfa could return in May

The 24-year-old Frenchman has not played since suffering a double leg fracture in a challenge with Manchester City's Nigel de Jong at Eastlands on October 3. However, he has returned to training on Tyneside and Pardew, who completed a permanent move for the loan signing in January despite never having him at his disposal, is proposing to involve him at the end of the campaign. Pardew said: "He has certainly been working this week. We think actually the last three games is a possibility and we are just going to leave it at that, featuring him in some part of those three." The Magpies, who face Premier League leaders Manchester United at St James' Park on Tuesday night, will end their first season back in the top flight with home games against Birmingham and West Brom either side of a trip to Chelsea on May 15.