Joey Barton will miss the start of the start of the season having picked up a foot injury that will see him sidelined for around 6-weeks. Barton has suffered a partial fracture of the fifth metatarsal during the pre-season game with Carlisle yesterday. He will now target the home game with Wigan on September 1 as a possible return to action. With Parker now at West Ham, Big Sam will either opt for a Butt/Emre midfield pairing, or dip back into the transfer market to bolster his midfield.