The 28-year-old France international was the subject of a rejected £14million bid from Paris St Germain on Sunday, and the Magpies are bracing themselves for a second approach on Monday ... with Man Utd (according to reports in Manchester) ready to throw their hat into the ring.
With less than five days of the January transfer window still to run, many Newcastle fans believe Tuesday's fixture at Carrow Road will be Cabaye's last - IF he makes the game.
Alan Pardew: "You are talking to someone who lost Andy Carroll with eight hours to go, so am I confident?
"No, I'm not confident, and I don't think any team not in a Champions League position or fighting for a Champions League position could be.
"We know we have got a club interested in Cabaye, a very wealthy club and a powerful club, and we are conscious of that.
"We are doing our best to protect Newcastle.
"Well, you are talking to a manager who actually when he lost Andy Carroll, lost a massive part of a team that wasn't safe. We didn't have 36 points when we lost Andy Carroll, so it was a hell of a blow.
"I still maintain that was one of my best periods as a manager at this football club, getting us safe that year, so in terms of my mentality, I'm just strong about it.
"I am strong whatever happens. I am the manager and I have got to deal with it.
"I don't want him (Cabaye) to go. We have not indicated for one moment here from the owner down to any of my staff that we want him to go, not one iota.
"We would need to bring somebody in, for sure. You can't lose a player of that quality and not replace him.
"But we are going to need some time to do that. We have informed the club that's interested and the agents of the player that we are very conscious of that."