Barton says sorry to Newcastle manager Allardyce

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Allardyce confirmed last night that Barton would not be available to play in Newcastle's third round FA Cup tie at Stoke tomorrow as a result of the bail conditions imposed.

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It's good to talk: Barton and Allardyce

The 25-year-old has been released on conditional bail until January 16, although club lawyers are investigating whether the player can return for the visit to Manchester United four days earlier.

Allardyce has not seen Barton since his arrest in Liverpool on December 27 and still does not know when the player will be allowed to link up with his team-mates, although the pair spoke by phone yesterday, when the £5.8million summer signing apologised.

Barton is currently undergoing supervised treatment at the Sporting Chance Clinic in Hampshire and Allardyce said: "He has apologised. I spoke to him today just to find out from him and the solicitors what can and can't be done from our point of view. It was not a long conversation.

"Once we have that, we can see where we go in terms of training and being ready to be selected again.

"I am hugely disappointed, as I said at the time. When we meet face to face, we can discuss how to go forward. But it couldn't be a worse time for what happened, for us and for him.

"Via our lawyer we're making absolutely certain there are going to be no rules or regulations that we might break if we do attempt to get Joey back into the squad."