Keane misses Elland Road trip

Roy Keane will definitely miss the trip to Leeds on September 14 following Alex Ferguson’s decision not to appeal against his red card at Sunderland on Saturday.

Although the Football Association have not yet received referee Uriah Rennie's report, an automatic three-match ban is almost certain after Keane was dismissed for elbowing former Ireland team-mate Jason McAteer in the last minute of the 1-1 draw.

With the ban due to start 14 days after the offence, it means Keane – almost certain to be fined an estimated £150,000 (€236,500) by Ferguson for the offence – will miss the trip to Elland Road, where his much-publicised dispute with Alfie Haaland first surfaced in 1997.

31-year-old Keane will also be forced to sit out the home game with early Premiership pace-setters Tottenham, plus the visit to Charlton on September 28.

Keane will be available for tomorrow’s clash with Middlesbrough but later this week will learn whether he is to be charged over the claim in his autobiography that his horrendous tackle on Haaland in last year’s Manchester derby was motivated by revenge.

Having last week insisted he “wasn’t losing any sleep” over the possibility of FA sanctions, Keane attempted to calm the situation this weekend when he claimed he had “never intentionally set out to injure any opponent”.

It seems clear that Keane will contest any charge laid against him, although if the FA do ban him, it could rule him out of Premiership combat throughout October.

“The referee had no choice but to send off Roy,” admitted Ferguson, who had initially suggested he would appeal against the dismissal.

“The replay I was shown immediately after the match was misleading. Roy is the first United player to be sent off for this offence and I’ve recently said the use of the elbow is a growing problem in our game.

“It was clear Roy caught him, though I still say it was petty rather than grievous.”

The furore doesn’t show any signs of affecting the sale of his book however. The book is on course to become Ireland's fastest-selling ever.

Meanwhile, Ferguson was back at Old Trafford today carrying out a body count after French full-back Mikael Silvestre was forced off with a neck injury on Saturday.

If Silvestre cannot prove his fitness, Irish under-21 international Paul Tierney is likely to be handed his Premiership debut.

England midfielder Nicky Butt faces a late test on his toe injury, while David Beckham is expected to play despite attending the birth of his second child in London yesterday.