'Roy Keane's impending three-match suspension, and the possibility of the Football Association banning him for even longer, was rendered almost meaningless last night after Sir Alex Ferguson ordered the troubled Manchester United captain to bring forward the surgery on his persistent hip injury. He will go into hospital today for an operation that will keep him out for three months.
Ferguson summoned Keane to his office yesterday to fine him two weeks' wages, £150,000, for being sent off at Sunderland on Saturday and make it clear that, rather than delay surgery, this is the most opportune moment for him to have a spell out of the game.
That means any ban the FA imposes on Keane - when, as expected, it holds a hearing into the controversial revelations in his autobiography - will be largely inconsequential, because he would be unavailable to Ferguson anyway.'
Hate to say once more but we told you that Roy was being lined up for a trip to the surgeon last week and sending Keane for his op during a suspension is exactly what has happened with dozens of other players before but once again we see the press stirring it because it is United. There is even a hint that the FA may postpone their investigation until Roy is available for selection again.
Ferguson also apparently advised Keane that a period out of the spotlight might benefit him.
"It's been troubling him for some time and we've decided that now is the best time for it to be operated upon," said Ferguson. "We hope we will have him back by the end of the year and by then that we will have qualified for the second phase of the Champions League.
"Roy has been getting by impressively. I wanted him to have the operation early last summer but he wanted to go to the World Cup with Ireland. He played at Sunderland and, without a pain-killing injection, he did magnificently. But by the end he was in some pain."
Keane is expected to miss 18 Premiership games including the derby at the hovel on November 9th, starting against Middlesbrough at Old Trafford tonight, and all six Champions League games from the opening phase.
And........now Linfield have threatened to sue Keane due to a reference in his book to their "bigoted supporters" I would like to be a fly on the courtroom wall if that ever gets persued.