BBC SPORT | Football | Teams | Man Utd | FA yet to make Keane decision

The Football Association has denied that it has made a decision to charge Roy Keane for his much-publicised challenge on Alf-Inge Haaland.

The Sun and the Daily Mail newspapers both report that Keane will be charged with misconduct as soon as his controversial autobiography is published.

Keane writer takes the blame

Keane claims to have deliberately set out to hurt Haaland in a Manchester derby two seasons ago, as revenge for a previous clash between the pair.

The FA has delayed a decision over any possible ban for the United captain until his comments, serialised in the national press, have been confirmed.

And FA spokesman Adrian Bevington insists that stance has not changed.

"The situation has not changed at all," Bevington told BBC Sport Online.

"We are waiting for the book to be published before making any decision."

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

Keane served a four-match ban following the tackle on Haaland - three for the red card and an extra one-match ban having already been sent off earlier in the season.

Manchester United midfielder Roy Keane is waiting to learn his fate
Roy Keane served a four-match ban

But Bevington insists that claims of a repeat suspension are pure speculation.

"It would be pure guesswork to predict any possible ban and the newspapers which ran these stories were told that on Tuesday," Bevington added.

Manchester City and Haaland are both pursuing legal advice following Keane's public admission that his challenge was premeditated.

Haaland has not started a game since the incident and is set to undergo surgery in the United States.

Bevington also insisted that reports claiming Ashley Cole faces an investigation into allegations of diving were premature.

Birmingham's Aliou Cisse was sent off for an innocuous challenge on Cole at Highbury on Sunday, but has had his red card rescinded following a review by referee Mike Riley.

That has led to newspaper predictions of an investigation into Cole's conduct.

But Bevington added: "The papers are getting ahead of themselves."


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