Keane and Beckham worries for United
Tuesday, April 2, 2002
Article summary
Manchester United FC could be without Roy Keane and David Beckhamnext week.
Article body
Manchester United FC will be without captain Roy Keane, and possibly David Beckham, for next week's return match with RC Deportivo La Coruña after both picked up injuries in the quarter-final first-leg victory in Spain.
Rash tackle
Keane looks likely to be ruled out for the rest of the month after pulling a hamstring, while Beckham was caught late by a rash tackle from Diego Tristán in the dying seconds of the 2-0 triumph. Midfield player Keane looked to have suffered a serious injury after he was carried off on an stretcher off shortly before the interval but the blow is not as bad as initially feared.
'Three to four weeks'
United manager Sir Alex Ferguson reported that his influential skipper could be back before the end of the season. "It's a hamstring injury," Sir Alex said. "He will probably be out for three or four weeks which is good because we thought it was something more serious than that like his knee."
'Senseless'
Beckham has swelling above his ankle and will be x-rayed on Wednesday. Both managers concurred that Tristán's tackle on Beckham was a poor one. "It's too early to say about Beckham's injury yet but I was surprised at Tristán's tackle as he is a footballer," the Scot added. "He [Beckham] will probably have an X-ray tomorrow [Wednesday]. It's a sore one. We don't know how serious it is yet though." Javier Irureta, Sir Alex's opposite number, condemned Tristán's tackle as "inopportune and senseless".
Return match
Keane, who had to be carried to the dressing room by two members of the United staff, is likely to miss FA Premiership games against Leicester City FC, Chelsea FC and Ipswich Town FC, as well as the return against Deportivo at Old Trafford next Wednesday. Paul Scholes will also be missing through suspension after picking up another yellow card tonight.
Champions League final
Keane will also miss Ireland's FIFA World Cup warm-up against the United States in Dublin on 17 April, but will hope to be back for another Landsdowne Road friendly against Nigeria on 16 May, providing United are not in the previous day's Champions League final in Glasgow.
