Tuesday 29 January 2013 19:08, UK
Alan Pardew admits the sale of Demba Ba hit Newcastle hard but believes they can get their season back on track at Aston Villa on Tuesday.
"It's his hometown club, of course, and he's got friends and family there, and I think he just wanted to say, 'Thanks for your offer of help if I needed it'. "Unfortunately for them, it hasn't happened. Fortunately for us, he remains our captain and committed to the cause, make no mistake about that." To find out more about live football on Sky sports, Click here