SOCCER: Roy Keane will tell the English FA this week that he plans to contest the disrepute charges which have been levelled over his controversial autobiography.
Although official documents have not yet been lodged with Soho Square, it is understood they will be handed in some time this week, well ahead of the September 18th deadline.
The 31-year-old former Republic of Ireland captain is currently recovering from a hip operation but would have been set to start a three-match ban at the weekend following his recent dismissal against Sunderland.
Last Wednesday, Keane learned he would face two FA charges over allegations that he deliberately set out to injure Manchester City midfielder Alfie Haaland at Old Trafford last May. Apart from a massive fine, Keane knows he could also be hit by an eight-match ban unless he can clear his name.
There have been calls for the FA to wait until Keane has returned to action before imposing any ban, otherwise their punishment would have absolutely no effect. By contesting the charges, Keane knows he risks putting his hearing back to a point when he is approaching fitness.
However, he is determined to contest, believing he should not be punished for what he has dubbed an "honest" account of his career. It is believed Keane's defence will centre around his right to freedom of speech and also a contention that his remarks, particularly in relation to Haaland, were incorrectly paraphrased by ghost-writer Eamonn Dunphy.
Even Keane could not have expected such a backlash from his book despite its controversies. Both Haaland and Irish League club Linfield have threatened legal action over his revelations while United have already announced their intention to change club rules to prevent the situation occurring again.
The club is to hold a meeting of all staff - including manager Alex Ferguson - to "discourage" them from going into print before their careers have come to an end. It is also believed the new edict will include newspaper columns, although this could prove harder to enforce.
The whole Keane issue will be discussed at United's plc board meeting later this month.
