It's him or me! Pressure on Hughes as Taarabt set to refuse to play alongside Barton

Adel Taarabt has heaped pressure on QPR's hierarchy to get rid of Joey Barton, after he said he would not play alongside the midfielder.

Barton disgraced himself on the final day of the season against Manchester City. The former City player was sent off for elbowing Carlos Tevez, and was handed a 12 game ban for then striking out at Sergio Aguero and Vincent Kompany.

Disgraced: Joey Barton (right) marred the final day of the season with his conduct

Rangers will conclude an internal investigation into Barton's behaviour over the next week, after the 29-year-old was also fined £75,000 by the FA.

If QPR wish to sack Barton, they will have to pay out the remainder of his contract - almost £11million - as they are unlikely to find legal justification for terminating it outright.

Mates? Mark Hughes must choose between Adel Taarabt (left) and Barton (right)

It is suggested that Barton's actions have caused a rift between Barton and other players, and Taarabt led the charge against his team-mate.

According to the Evening Standard, Taarabt will refuse to play alongside Barton once he serves his ban, and the two have not been speaking to one another for several months.

Barton is believed to have flown into tackles on the Moroccan after growing impatient with his indifferent approachto training.

Fall-out: Barton (centre) and Taarabt do not get along

Both players are no strangers to controversy. Misconduct has consistently followed Barton throughout his career, starting when he stubbed a cigar out in James Tandy's eye at Manchester City.

Taarabt, on the other hand, stormed out of QPR's dressing room at half-time during their 6-0 hammering by Fulham.

Barton criticised Taarabt after the game, and said: 'I came here and was told he was a genius but I’m yet to see it.

'I don’t know whether that is because he doesn’t work hard enough or that he tends to sulk'

Taarabt has made it clear that he will not play alongside Barton any longer.

Manager Mark Hughes will have a real problem shifting Barton, not just because of his misconduct, but because no other team is likely to be willing to meet his £70,000 per week salary.