The Frenchman has been a revelation on Tyneside since his £4.8million move from Lille during the summer of 2011, and he was one of the stars of last season's surge into fifth place in the Premier League.
But he has struggled this season, with many behind-the-scenes people suggesting he was home sick for a return to France.
Alan Pardew: "Cabaye is probably my biggest worry. The rest of them are really sound physically and mentally.
"But Cabaye is our best player in terms of intelligence on the pitch and he needs to play. That's why he has played almost every minute."
Hang on ... "That's why he has played almost every minute."
Not quite. We've played 49 games this season and Cabaye has played 30, and seven of those were as substitute.