More Keane controversy

THE Football Association have stated Roy Keane has not launched an appeal against his five-match ban and £150,000 fine handed out to him, but Manchester United are saying he has another week in which to make a decision.

The  midfielder was set a deadline of 5pm on Friday to launch an appeal, but that passed without Keane contacting the FA.

However, a statement released on United`s website says the date for his appeal deadline is in fact November 8.

An FA panel found the Irishman guilty on two charges of bringing the game into disrepute, and was handed out the censure earlier in October.

Keane was charged following his controversial revelation in his autobiography that he deliberately set out to hurt Manchester City's Alf Inge Haaland.

The charges were that he deliberately intended to injure the Norwegian in the Manchester derby at Old Trafford in April 2001 and that he had also profited from the revelations in his book.

Keane has been sidelined for some time after having hip surgery, and is now unlikely to make his return until some point in December.

The matches Keane will miss are the Worthington Cup tie against Leicester City, and Premiership encounters with Manchester City, West Ham, Newcastle and Liverpool.

With The Red Devils and the FA at odds over the date, there is sure to be more debate before this matter is finally laid to rest.