Keane considers challenging charges

Roy Keane has cleared his schedules and will spend the next two weeks trying to decide whether attempting to clear his name takes precedence over the practicalities of his Manchester United career.

The Old Trafford skipper, who controversially had his hip operation on Tuesday, learned last night that he faces two misconduct charges over comments made in his recently-published autobiography.

Not only does the 31-year-old find himself having to defend allegations that he deliberately set out to injure Alfie Haaland during last year’s Manchester derby, he was also hit by an unexpected second case, which suggests that he has profited from making the allegations.

With each case carrying the possibility of a four-match suspension, Keane is now staring at an eight-game ban, in addition to the automatic three-match punishment handed out following his dismissal against Sunderland at the weekend.

After Tuesday’s victory over Middlesbrough, United boss Alex Ferguson claimed Keane could be back in action within six weeks if his recovery proceeds as planned, which leaves him with a fundamental problem.

If he pleads guilty to the charges, the ban will be invoked almost immediately, meaning he would still be on the treatment table for much of its duration.

However, over the weekend, while inflaming his row with Mick McCarthy, Keane attempted to defuse the Haaland situation by claiming he had “never deliberately set out to injure any opponent”.

This follows earlier comments which suggested that ghostwriter Eamonn Dunphy had used “journalistic licence” in paraphrasing Keane’s comments, likely to form the major part of any defence.

However, Keane and his advisers will be all too aware that if he challenges the charges and fails, he will probably have returned to fitness by the time the suspension is applied, negating the advantage of his recent surgery.

Keane was supposed to return to Cork today for a book-signing session. However, that trip has now been scrapped along with all his other short-term engagements as he starts his recovery.

Haaland has not played since the incident and has threatened legal action over the tackle, which he claims exacerbated a long-standing injury to his other leg.

It is thought the Norwegian will shortly be told that his playing career is over, and the former World Cup star believes Keane’s tackle is a major factor.

Relations between the pair had soured in 1997 when Keane ruptured his cruciate knee ligaments at Elland Road after attempting to trip the Norwegian during a stormy encounter with Haaland’s former club Leeds.

As Keane writhed in agony, Haaland accused him of feigning injury, an incident the Irishman admitted nagged away at him throughout his recovery.

As Haaland lay stricken following last year’s horror tackle, Keane stood over him and, according to his book yelled “Don’t ever accuse me of feigning injury again” before heading to the tunnel after being sent off by referee David Ellery.

It is not the only controversy which the book has caused. Apart from his attack on McCarthy, Keane also dismisses the coaching talents of Jack Charlton and accuses his own team-mates of resting on their “Rolexes and mansions”.

He is also threatened with legal action over sectarian allegations made against Northern Irish outfit Linfield, which the Belfast club claims are completely untrue.

It is thought Ferguson was the only member of the United staff to see a copy of the book’s transcript before the serialisation after the club’s attempts to obtain a copy from publishers Penguin were rebuffed.

Football Association chief executive Adam Crozier insisted any action would not be influenced by Keane’s standing in the game and the latest development has come after the player’s own observations of the incident have been received.

And Professional Footballers’ Association chief executive Gordon Taylor is among those who claim Keane has left himself “wide open” to FA punishment because of the book, which he believes was “ill-advised”.