• Barton could be banned for 10 Premier League matches
• QPR may struggle to sell £80,000-per-week midfielder
Joey Barton's future at Queens Park Rangers has been cast into serious doubt following his dismissal and subsequent reaction at Manchester City on Sunday, offences which could see him banned for at least 10 matches at the start of next season.
The one-time England international will receive an automatic four-match suspension for flinging an elbow at Carlos Tevez – his second red card of the season – and has been charged with two acts of violent conduct by the Football Association over his kick out at Sergio Agüero and attempt to headbutt Vincent Kompany before he was eventually escorted from the field. Both those offences, which fell outside the jurisdiction of the referee Mike Dean, would normally carry three-match bans, though there remains scope for the FA's regulatory panel to increase the sanction. Barton has until 6pm on Tuesday to respond to the charges.
The incident is the latest controversy to blight the 29-year-old's career and the prospect of him being suspended well into next season – as well as his onerous £80,000-a-week wages and his reputation – could prove a major hindrance to QPR's attempts to sell the midfielder from the playing staff. The club are conducting their own enquiry into events at the Etihad Stadium but, behind the scenes, it is understood the manager, Mark Hughes, was left exasperated by the experienced player's conduct on such a critical occasion as the Londoners attempted to retain their topflight status.
The midfielder is contracted until 2015 at Loftus Road, with QPR now considering their options. The club's chairman, Tony Fernandes, confirmed the player's conduct is under review. He told the BBC: "There are experienced people who will come back to me and we'll review the whole situation. Joey has been an integral part of the club and has played his part. [Djibril] Cissé has been sent off twice, and I think he was critical for us in terms of getting goals. This is football, and I'm new to it. I don't profess to have all the answers." Read More
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