Keane to learn fate on the end of month

Manchester United captain Roy Keane will learn at the start of next month whether he faces disciplinary action and a possible suspension following his controversial autobiography.

Keane is likely to be charged with misconduct by the Football Association after his apparent admission that he targeted Alf Inge Haaland for revenge in a now-infamous tackle in April last year.

If he is found guilty of bringing the game into disrepute, he could then face a suspension of up to four matches.

The FA have come under pressure to bring the matter to a head given that it has dominated the football world since the book was serialised earlier this month.

However, they are determined to wait until they have read the full passage in which Keane discusses the incident in his book, rather than relying on the extracts which have already appeared.

The FA want to check whether there are any mitigating factors and to ensure that the comments are read in their proper context.

With no advance copies expected to be made available, this means that the FA must wait until August 31, when the book is due to be published, before they can take a decision.

FA chief executive Adam Crozier will then discuss the issue with senior figures in the disciplinary department after they have all read the chapter in question.

Crozier revealed last weekend: "It doesn’t matter who the player is, what club they are, what league they perform in. If there’s a charge to be answered then a charge will be answered."

Describing the extracts he had already seen as "not pleasant reading", he added: "Unless there’s something particularly different in the book, we will be taking a very close look at it."

Keane’s ghostwriter, Eamon Dunphy, has revealed that he used "artistic licence" and "paraphrased" the midfielder’s views.

If Keane is charged, the FA would then have to consider this admission, although the former Ireland captain did proof-read the manuscript in advance.

Although he cannot be punished again for the tackle - which earned him a red card and a four-game ban as it was his second dismissal of the season - some senior FA figures feel his comments may bring the game into disrepute.