Joey Barton still set for Newcastle exit

Joey Barton has been told his Newcastle return is just a stay of execution after the bad-boy midfielder joined team-mates for the start of preseason training yesterday.

The former jailbird was banned by Alan Shearer in May following a furious dressing-room bust-up after his red card at Liverpool ruled him out of Toon's doomed relegation fight.

But with Shearer forced to endure a frustrating delay as Mike Ashley's £100million sale bid drags on, Barton was back at Newcastle's Benton training base.

Shearer remains the preferred managerial option for the three groups leading the bidding to buy-out Ashley.

And one of the 38-year-old''s first tasks will be to offload £60,000-a-week Barton for a cut-price £2.5m to either Blackburn or Bolton.

Peter Lovenkrands is set to join Wigan after being axed by post. A spokesman for the player said: "He received a letter telling him not to turn up for pre-season training. He's devastated and upset."

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