FORMER Rangers manager Alex McLeish believes the Joey Barton saga will be keeping current boss Mark Warburton awake at night.

McLeish knows the pressure Warburton is under following his own five-year stint as Rangers manager, and can sympathise.

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Former Burnley midfielder Barton was on Monday handed a three-week suspension following a heated row with Warburton and team-mate Andy Halliday in the wake of the derby loss, and the 34-year-old is now also facing a gambling probe after it was alleged he bet on Celtic to lose heavily in last week's Champions League clash with Barcelona.

And McLeish says it is only normal for the incumbent of the Ibrox hotseat to feel the strain.

Speaking ahead of Sunday's clash between Rangers and another of his old sides, Aberdeen, McLeish said: "Joey is being dealt with. We don't know much about what is going to happen so we can only speculate.

"I can't second guess what will happen. Is he going to leave Rangers or will it make him even more determined to be come a pivotal figure for the club this season? We will need to wait and see.

"I don't know how Mark is handling it. I've not had the privilege of seeing how he works up close. But as a manager you always have sleepless nights - it wouldn't be natural if you didn't."