A season that started so well for Newcastle United under new manager Sam Allardyce is in danger of unravelling even before the Christmas decorations are taken down.
The arrest of midfielder Joey Barton in Liverpool on charges of assault and affray on Thursday and his subsequent detention in custody until January 3 is the last thing Allardyce needed.
The 25-year-old had been arrested along with a 19-year-old man and a 27-year-old woman after an incident in the centre of Liverpool on Thursday morning.
Not only will Barton miss today's match at Chelsea, he will also be unavailable for the home game with his old club Manchester City at St James' Park next Wednesday.
Allardyce is already under huge pressure as he struggles to re-build confidence in his team, who have won only two of their last 10 league matches.
They were booed off after a 2-2 home draw with bottom club Derby County last weekend and castigated by 5,000 travelling fans in a 1-0 defeat at lowly Wigan Athletic on Wednesday.
It does not help Allardyce's cause that the club's billionaire owner Mike Ashley chooses to sit among the fans at most away matches - and knows exactly what their feelings are.
Allardyce, who took over at St James' Park having left Bolton Wanderers after almost eight years at the end of last season, turned on his own players at Wigan. Asked if he was happy that his future as Newcastle's manager was in the hands of this group of players, Allardyce replied: "No, not really. But these are the players I have got. Some I have bought, some I haven't.
"Most of them have shown me what they can on the good side of things. But too many are showing me what they can do on the bad side of things."
One of the players Allardyce did buy was Barton, paying City £5.8 million ($11.60 million) for the player only after holding serious discussions with the one-time England international about his on and off-field behaviour.
Dabo bust-up
Barton left City under something of a cloud after a training ground bust-up with former team-mate Ousmane Dabo. Two weeks ago Barton was unconditionally bailed to appear for trial next June for the alleged attack on Dabo, something he strenuously denies.
Barton was also in trouble at City for stubbing out a lit cigar on youth player Jamie Tandy's eyelid and was sent home from a tour to the Far East for fighting with club captain Richard Dunne and a supporter.
It all began so well back in August with Newcastle topping the Premier League table on the first day of the season after a 3-1 win at Bolton and losing just two of their opening nine league matches. Their form has dipped in the last two months, though, and Michael Owen's injury troubles have not helped.
Allardyce now faces six tough matches that could determine his future.
After Chelsea and Manchester City, Newcastle face a tricky trip to Championship (second division) Stoke City in the FA Cup third round, a visit to Manchester United and games at home against Bolton and away to Arsenal.