October date for Keane hearing

Roy Keane's disciplinary hearing will be held on 15 October, the Football Association confirmed yesterday. The Manchester United captain was charged on 4 September with two counts of bringing the game into disrepute.

Both charges relate to an account in his autobiography of an incident involving Manchester City's Alfe Inge Haaland during a Premiership match in April 2001.

In the book Keane said he had deliberately injured Haaland after the Norwegian, when playing for Leeds United three seasons earlier, had accused him of faking an injury which turned out to be cruciate knee ligament damage.

Keane, who is recovering from a hip operation and is not expected to be fit to play for another month, is expected to attend the hearing, a venue for which has yet to be decided.

Manchester City revealed yesterday details of a long-term £30m bond secured from the American investment company Bear Stearns. The deal is based on the US firm taking a percentage of future gate receipts and season ticket sales from the move to the new City of Manchester Stadium next year and the club's revenue from the scheme could eventually rise to £44m.

David Bernstein, the City chairman, has insisted that the money will not go to the club's manager, Kevin Keegan, for transfers after announcing record debts of £13m. Keegan is hoping for financial support from the director John Wardle, one of the founders of the JD Sports store chain and among the club's biggest backers.

Bolton Wanderers' Kevin Nolan is facing a three-week lay-off but does not need an operation. The England midfield prospect tore a groin muscle in training and missed Saturday's defeat by Arsenal. His absence is a further blow to the manager Sam Allardyce as it follows so soon after an injury to Ricardo Gardner. Bolton's Stig Tofting and Akin Bulent are also far from fully fit.

Michael Johnson, Birmingham City's long-serving defender, faces up to three months out of the game after being told he needs surgery to cure a groin problem. The 29-year-old first suffered the injury midway through last season.

Everton's Nigerian defender Joseph Yobo is set to make his return to competitive action in tonight's reserve match against Manchester City. The £1m buy from Marseilles has been absent with an ankle injury sustained in training.

An unnamed bidder has emerged to challenge the former Queen's Park Rangers chairman Richard Thompson in the race to become the financial power behind the fans' take-over of Brentford. Thompson, who has a £7m refinancing offer on the table, has learned that part of the deal is "unacceptable" to the Bees United fans' group. The other as yet unidentified party said it was interested in backing the Second Division club. The Brentford board were due to discuss the fresh interest last night.

* Glasgow Rangers' Kevin Muscat will appear before the Scottish Football Association's disciplinary committee next month after the review panel failed to reach a decision after viewing video evidence. Muscat appeared to use an arm to strike Livingston's Juanjo Camacho earlier this month. But the video evidence has proved inconclusive and the incident has now been referred.