Joey Barton escaped censure last night for alleged racist abuse towards Gabriel Agbonlahor after Aston Villa and the FA decided against pursuing any case against the Newcastle United midfield player.

After a day of mixed messages in which Agbonlahor initially persuaded Martin O’Neill against making an official complaint to the FA, only for Villa then to receive a request from the governing body for their account of the unseemly exchange between the players during Newcastle’s 2-0 win at St James’ Park on Monday night, Barton was left clear to continue his rehabilitation in to the game and Villa to concentrate on tonight’s Uefa Cup tie away to Slavia Prague.

Much of the confusion lay in the fact that the FA asked for Villa’s account of the incident while O’Neill’s squad were in the air en route to Prague. Upon landing, the Villa manager, who had been among those at his club who had requested TV footage of Barton appearing to tease Agbonlahor by rubbing his lips, said that he had agreed to draw a line under the situation at his striker’s behest. O’Neill confirmed that the club would have been “fully supportive” had Agbonlahor opted to pursue the issue.

Joe Kinnear, the Newcastle manager, is understood to be standing by a player who was released from prison this summer after completing 74 days of a six-month sentence for assault. Whether the club would have countenanced another breach of discipline from the troubled player is a matter for conjecture. “The FA wrote to Aston Villa [yesterday] morning to ask for any information the club could provide regarding allegations reported in [yesterday's] media of remarks made by Joey Barton to Gabriel Agbonlahor during Villa’s match against Newcastle on Monday,” the FA said. “The club has responded to inform us that they have no complaints to make. On this basis, The FA will not be pursuing this matter.”

O’Neill said: “Gaby doesn’t want to talk about it and he doesn’t want to press charges. That’s what he said to me [on Tuesday night] and he reiterated that [yesterday] morning.” Agbonlahor may still lead Villa’s attack tonight as they aim to place another foot in the last 32 of the Uefa Cup. Having started their campaign impressively with a 2-1 victory over Ajax a fortnight ago, O’Neill accepts that he needs to rotate his squad tonight.

With one eye on Middlesbrough’s visit to Villa Park in the Barclays Premier League on Sunday, James Milner (hip), Stiliyan Petrov (hamstring) and Marlon Harewood and Isaiah Osbourne (both on paternity leave) have been left at home.

Slavia have Vladimir Smicer, the former Liverpool winger, and Tomas Necid, the leading goalscorer in the Czech league, who will join CSKA Moscow in January, in their ranks. “The game is really important to get something from,” O’Neill said. “They have a load of international players and they fancy themselves to get through. They are up for the game.”

O’Neill is pleased that Ashley Young has signed a new four-year contract, to become Villa’s leading earner on at least £50,000 a week, and believes that the winger will enhance his international ambitions by playing more regularly for this team than he would have if he were to have moved to one of the big four clubs. “If he continues to develop in the manner he is doing, then international calls will come,” O’Neill said. “He is a young lad and there is more to come.”

Slavia Prague (probable; 4-4-1-1): M Vaniak — M Krajcik, E Brabec, M Suchy, D Hubacek — T Belaid, M Tavares, M Jarolim, J Cerny — V Smicer — T Necid.

Aston Villa (possible; 4-4-1-1): B Guzan — C Cuéllar, C Davies, M Laursen, N Shorey — C Gardner, N Reo-Coker, S Sidwell, A Young — G Barry — G Agbonlahor.

Referee: C Kapitanis (Cyprus).