Guardian
Patrick Vieira is poised to miss Arsenal's derby at home to Tottenham next month after being banned for two matches by the Football Association yesterday for insulting the referee Andy D'Urso at Chelsea.
Vieira was also fined £25,000 by an FA disciplinary commission, which found him guilty of misconduct for his behaviour towards D'Urso after he was sent off at Stamford Bridge in early September.
The Arsenal captain was found not guilty of a more serious charge of abusing the Essex official, but Arsène Wenger said last night that he was "very disappointed" by the verdict and would consider an appeal "over the next couple of days".
Should the verdict go unchallenged, Vieira will miss a Premiership game at Southampton on November 23 as well as the north London derby against Spurs at Highbury a week earlier.
But Wenger knows that if Arsenal appeal unsuccessfully they would merely delay the start of the punishment, and that could mean losing Vieira for the vital trip to Manchester United on December 7.