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LONDON - Manchester City midfielder Ousmane Dabo said he was left looking 'like the Elephant Man' after being attacked by team mate Joey Barton in training this week.

Barton has been suspended by the club for the rest of the season after the attack which French international midfielder Dabo, who was hospitalised, described as cowardly.

"I am disfigured, my left eye has been affected. I believe he put his fingers in my eyes," Dabo told Thursday's edition of French paper L'Equipe.
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Dabo said the two men had a heated exchange after catching each other with bad tackles.

"I thought it was over and when I wanted to turn away he hit me with a terrible punch that knocked me out. He acted like a coward, it wasn't a fair fight."

Dabo's left eye has been taped closed and he has swellings and facial marks following hospital treatment.

"When I woke up this morning I looked at myself in the mirror with my face all swollen up and I looked like the Elephant Man," he told The Sun.

"I'm a big guy and if it had been a face-to-face fight he would have known about it."

Barton was fined six weeks' wages in 2004 for stubbing a cigar in a team mate's eye during a Christmas party and his future at City is in doubt after the latest incident.

Reuters

Barton arrested over bust-up

16/ 5/2007

MANCHESTER City's Joey Barton has been arrested by police investigating the training-ground bust-up with team-mate Ousmane Dabo.

The 24-year-old England midfielder was arrested on suspicion of assault after being quizzed by officers at a Greater Manchester police station.

French international Dabo, 30, claims he was attacked during a practice session at City's Carrington training ground on May 1.

He asked officers to investigate the incident, which he said left him looking like the `Elephant Man' and needing hospital treatment.

It is understood Barton attended the police station last night after being called in for questioning. He was then arrested.

He has been released on police bail pending further inquiries.

It came the day after City manager Stuart Pearce was sacked by the club.

It also comes shortly after Barton was snubbed by England boss Steve McClaren.

He has been left out of the England's B squad for the friendly against Albania on May 25.

Liverpool-born Barton was suspended by City after the training-ground bust-up and a question mark hangs over his future at Eastlands, even though he has three years left on his contact.

He is expected to meet club officials for talks about his future. Everton are being touted as the favourites to sign the £5.5 million-rated player this summer.

But a number of other domestic and foreign clubs are said to be interested.

A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police said: "A 24-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of Section 20 assault following an incident during which a 30-year-old man was assaulted on Tuesday, May 1.

"The 24-year-old has been released on bail until July 11 pending further inquiries."

Manchester Evening News

The Newcastle midfielder Joey Barton was today banned for 12 games, six of which are suspended until the end of the 2009-10 season, and fined £25,000 by the FA for assaulting his former Manchester City team-mate Ousmane Dabo.

The ban, which eclipses the 11-match ban handed to Sheffield Wednesday's Paolo Di Canio in 1998 for shoving the referee Paul Alcock, means Barton will be unavailable for Newcastle until at least mid-October and could see him out of Premier League action until the end of November. His potential comeback game is the derby match against Sunderland on October 25.

The extra six matches of the ban would be automatically added should the midfielder be found guilty of a similar charge involving violence or be sent-off during a game for violent conduct, though not for a red card for serious foul play.

A four-man FA panel, which included the former England manager Graham Taylor, took just under two hours to reach their verdict. Kevin Keegan, who resigned as Newcastle manager yesterday, was scheduled to attend the hearing as Barton's character witness but is thought to have submitted a character statement by fax instead.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/...eed=uknews