But the midfielder – who yesterday admitted assaulting former Manchester City team-mate Ousmane Dabo – could yet have his St James's Park contract ripped up by furious club bosses.

>> Watch the CCTV footage of Barton's 20-punch attack now

Jailed Barton – who has refused to take a 50 per cent pay cut – is expected to be given a suspended sentence today for the Dabo attack, which led to his exit from the City of Manchester Stadium.

The Barton camp was always hopeful he would be released a little over a month into his six-month sentence with an electronic tag.

The 25-year-old is now eligible for early release, and could be released as early as today, allowing him to be back for the first day of pre-season training on Monday.

However, the release yesterday of CCTV images of the street assault in the early hours of December 27 in Liverpool have hardened owner Mike Ashley's take on the situation, with the billionaire conscious of the damage done to the club.

Barton is also facing a backlash from supporters sickened by the attack, committed in the hours after he went AWOL after being left out of Sam Allardyce's side for the Boxing Day fixture away to Wigan Athletic.

Ashley wanted to halve Barton's weekly £60,000-plus wage packet as further punishment, something rejected out of hand by the Liverpudlian and his representatives.

United, as yet, have made no comment on either of Barton's convictions, but is expected to issue a statement once sentence has been passed on the Dabo incident.

The club will look to sit down with Barton and his representatives as soon as possible to decide on the best way forward.

Barton was Sam Allardyce's No 1 transfer target last summer, and, as yet, Newcastle fans have seen just glimpses of why he spent £5.8m – including a £300,00 "loyalty" payment Man City were withholding from him – to bring him to St James's Park.

And Ashley effectively now has to decide whether to write off that sizeable investment, made in the last days of his predecessor Freddy Shepherd's tenure, by terminating Barton's five-year contract.

Such a course of action, however, would give manager Kevin Keegan – who pledged to stand by Barton, who is committed to receiving help from Tony Adams's Sporting Chance clinic in Hampshire, last season – yet another unwanted headache.

Keegan – still to sign a player this summer – has already lost four players since the end of the season, and he will be reluctant to lose another given his limited transfer budget.