Keane close to resuming training

ROY KEANE will return to training in a fortnight with the Manchester United skipper set for his playing comeback ''within a month'', Football Association inquiries permitting.

The 31-year-old midfielder is currently recovering from the hip operation which manager Alex Ferguson initially felt would leave his captain on the sidelines for three months.

Ferguson then revised Keane's recovery time to six weeks, but it now appears his absence will stretch to two months, with United's other long-term injury victim Wes Brown set to return at the same time after his broken ankle.

The Irishman is already facing a lengthy ban after the FA charged him on two counts of bringing the game into disrepute following his controversial autobiography.

''Keane and Brown will be back training within a couple of weeks and playing again within a month,'' said Ferguson, who saw South African winger Quinton Fortune come through a reserve team outing unscathed on Thursday night.

''We have Quinton, Gary Neville and Paul Scholes back now, so things are improving on that front.''

However, Ferguson did confirm striker Ruud van Nistelrooy has not trained so far this week as he nurses the tight hamstring which forced him to miss Tuesday's 4-0 hammering of Olympiakos. The Dutchman received some wise words from his manager, who felt his head had started to drop during his early-season goal drought.

The former PSV front man has responded with five goals in his last four outings and Ferguson is hoping he will be a key figure in Monday's Premiership encounter with Everton at Old Trafford.

''Ruud has not trained yet but hopefully will be okay by Monday,'' said the United chief. ''But if there is any doubt we won't take a chance.''

If van Nistelrooy does not make it, Ryan Giggs will assume more attacking responsibility, having looked sharp in an injury-free start to the league campaign.

The Welsh winger's form has been affected by a series of fitness concerns in recent seasons, usually surround-

ing his notoriously fragile hamstrings.

It even saw him lose the position of stand-in captain in Keane's prolonged absence, Ferguson preferring to hand the responsibility to David Beckham.

''The injuries have been frustrating because they usually come around when I have been playing well,'' Giggs told MUTV.

''It's disappointing, both mentally and physically because although you might only be out for two or three weeks, you lose the match sharpness and it takes you another two or three weeks to get it back.''

''I'm quite happy with my form so far and after losing a couple of games, the team is on a little roll now.

''We want to keep it going because if we fall any further behind Arsenal the gap would start to become pretty massive