15.09.2017 16:40 h

Ben Arfa back training with PSG first team

France international forward Hatem Ben Arfa was back training with the Paris Saint-Germain first team on Friday following a spell banished to the reserves, coach Unai Emery confirmed.

"He was welcomed into the group," said Emery in his pre-match press conference ahead of Sunday's Ligue 1 clash with Lyon.

"He did several training sessions with the reserves but today he trained with us."

Ben Arfa, 30, had found himself out in the cold having fallen out of favour under Emery since both joined the club last season.

PSG had tried to offload Ben Arfa during the close season without success as his high salary put off potential suitors.

He was left out of PSG's Champions League squad while his hopes of forcing Emery into a rethink took a hit by the mega-money signings of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe in August.

With the departure of Zlatan Ibrahimovic to Manchester United, Ben Arfa was PSG's marquee signing just over a year ago following a stellar campaign with Nice that saw him rebuild his faltering career after several unsuccessful years in England.

But his PSG dream soon turned sour and he was left in limbo as Emery made clear before the season began that he didn't want the temperamental former Lyon and Marseille player.

Ben Arfa's lawyer had threatened to take PSG to court after his client was banished to the reserves, who play in the French fourth tier.

But on Friday, PSG published pictures of Ben Arfa training with the first team on their official website.