NUFC midfielder Joey Barton back for January

Dec 26 2009 by Mark Douglas, The Journal

JOEY Barton will come straight back into contention for a place in Newcastle United’s starting line-up when he returns from a long-term foot injury next month.

That is the verdict of Chris Hughton, who has revealed that the tenacious midfielder remains on course to rejoin the fray in just over a fortnight.

Barton has been out since September but United have not been overly troubled by his absence, with Kevin Nolan and Alan Smith forming a formidable midfield alliance without him.

Hughton feels that his one-time England cap still has a big part to play this season and he will not hesitate to give him first team action when he is fully recovered.

“Joey is fine. He is on course to train with the team in mid-January,” he said.

“He is very much part of my long-term plans. Joey is part of a squad that we have here. If Joey was available at this moment I would see him as very much part of the squad.

“I think that the frustrating thing for the type of injury that Joey has is that there are times when you go through long periods when there isn’t so much you can do.

“You have to keep the weight off the injury and you can go through a period where you can not do anywhere near the amount of work you would like to do. But we knew that. He is on course for mid-January.”

This Christmas will be the second anniversary of the unsavoury incident that saw him sent to jail, but Hughton has no worries about Barton’s temperament.

Having sought help from the Sporting Chance clinic to cure his demons, the United manager believes he is on the path to redemption and ready to repay the club’s faith in him.

“I haven’t given him any particular words or advice,” he said.

“What happens is that you have a group of players and there isn’t one player in the squad that I feel I have to pull to one side and make him aware of the fact that it is the Christmas and he has to look after himself.

“For us it is an ongoing thing. The players realise we have two game in three days and we then go into a January period that is kicked off by an FA Cup game. They have to be responsible and you have to trust them.”