JOEY Barton's future at Rangers could be decided before the end of the week with a disciplinary hearing due to take place in the next few days.

The 34-year-old was suspended by the Ibrox club after a training ground row with teammate Andy Halliday and manager Mark Warburton and was instructed not to return to the club 'until further notice' earlier this month.

After six weeks without kicking a ball, reports today say that a disciplinary hearing will take place this week once the Premiership fixture against St Johnstone has been taken care of tonight.

Barton is believed to have hired a team of employment lawyers in case Rangers try to terminate his two-year deal early on a serious misconduct charge. 

He has been linked with a return to English football after failing to impress in his eight outings in a Light Blues shirt so far this season.