Hatem Ben Arfa: Newcastle United's Midfielder Returns

Last night's League Cup match between Nottingham Forest and Newcastle United marked the return of Hatem Ben Arfa, after missing almost a whole year of competitive football.

The midfielder played just off striker Peter Lovenkrands in a role many refer to as "in the hole"—the traditional number 10 playmaker position played by the likes of fellow countryman Zinedine Zidane and Argentinian legend Diego Maradona.

Newcastle need a bit of sparkle in their squad. Despite an impressive start to the season, with the team currently in fourth position in the league and undefeated in all competitions thanks to last night's 4 - 3 win for the Toon, there is still a lack of goals and creativity.

It is still early. New signings Yohan Cabaye, Sylvain Marveaux and Gabriel Obertan have looked impressive so far, but still need to develop.

Many Toon fans have pinned their hopes on Ben Arfa, but is it too much to ask for?

Manager Alan Pardew called Ben Arfa his "Heineken" player, comparing their old advertising slogan of "refreshing the parts other beers can't reach," saying that Ben Arfa, "can reach heights that other players can't reach," in his pre-match press conference.

Ben Arfa, still only 24 years old, has shown much promise during his young career.

Graduating from France's illustrious Clairefontaine football academy, the player showed potential at first senior club Lyon and then at Marseille, winning the Ligue 1 title and the Coupe de la Ligue at both clubs.

Falling out with Marseille manager Didier Deschamps in summer 2010, Ben Arfa engineered his move to Newcastle by refusing to train, thus sealing his fate at Stade Velodrome.

Good performances for Newcastle, combined with a wonder goal against Everton earned Ben Arfa a place in the Geordie's hearts.

But then in the match against Manchester City, a horrendous tackle from Nigel de Jong left Ben Arfa with a broken tibia and fibula on his left leg. The player didn't appear for Newcastle until this summer's preseason matches against Darlington and Sporting Kansas. In the latter match Ben Arfa suffered an injury to his left ankle, which kept him out of action until last night's match.

So is it unfair for the Toon Army to pin their hopes on Ben Arfa? 

The loss of key players Andy Carroll, Kevin Nolan, Jose Enrique and Joey Barton has left Newcastle fans with a lack of star players, despite the rest of the squad performing very well so far.

The Toon has suffered a lot recently with the inability of star players. Just the mention of the name Michael Owen to any Toon fan will no doubt earn an ill-mannered response. 

There is no doubt that Ben Arfa is one of the fans' favorite players at the moment. With a decent performance against Forest last night under his belt, it is clear that the more games he plays, the sharper he will become.

If he can regain the form he showed that won him trophies in France and several call-ups to the French national team, Newcastle will have a player with a creative spark and attacking ability that they lacked while he was away.