SOCCER: Jose Mourinho is persisting in his brinkmanship with Chelsea after the club allowed Uefa's deadline to expire last night without submitting an appeal against his two-match touchline ban.

Mourinho was banned over his claims that referee Anders Frisk was compromised by holding a half-time conversation with Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard during the recent Champions League game at Camp Nou.

The Chelsea manager has let it be known through trusted media in Portugal that he has felt isolated by recent events at Stamford Bridge, most notably but not solely the way his Uefa disrepute hearing was handled last week; "He feels he is fighting alone," said a friend yesterday.

Chelsea have acknowledged reports last Friday night that Mourinho is considering his future with the club but they are confident that the stand-off will not have an apocalyptic climax.

They concede instead that Mourinho will use the acceptance of his suspension as capital in negotiations with the club's hierarchy regarding their future strategy.

Mourinho is insisting on a more combative attitude from his club in defence of slights against him, though he was in more restrained mood last night. "I'm not on the bench (against Bayern Munich) on Wednesday, and also next week, and it's something that I don't want to comment or say what I have in myself," he said. "It's clear you cannot say too much. I must keep quiet."

A Chelsea insider said last night: "From Jose's perspective he does not believe he deserved a two-match ban. We would prefer Jose did not get a two-match ban, but on balance the management of the club believe that in light of what (sanctions) could have (been imposed) it is a good result."

There will be a meeting involving Mourinho, his agent Jorge Mendes, and Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon and possibly chairman Bruce Buck this week but all sides consider this to be a potentially positive step rather than any indication of a breakdown in the relationship between club and manager.

Kieron Dyer will today discover whether the FA agree with Newcastle United's decision to place the blame for his on-pitch fight with Lee Bowyer firmly on the latter's shoulders.

Newcastle fined Bowyer, who apparently instigated the brawl and threw more punches, six weeks' wages - understood to be around £200,000 - yesterday and the chairman Freddy Shepherd said he had considered sacking the midfielder, adding that Bowyer should "go down on his hands and knees" in thanks that he was still at the club.

But Newcastle restricted Dyer's punishment for his part in the incident, which saw both players sent off during Saturday's defeat against Aston Villa, to private verbal censure.

Indeed Graeme Souness and Freddy Shepherd, Newcastle's manager and chairman, were so sympathetic to Dyer - who arguably raised his hands in self-defence - that they have appealed against his mandatory three- match suspension with the case to be heard by an FA disciplinary commission this afternoon.

The FA is not expected to extend Bowyer's existing four-game ban; he is due to be barred for an extra match as this is his second sending-off of the season.

Souness is anxious for Dyer to be reprieved and thereby rendered eligible for the FA Cup semi-final against Manchester United.

After meeting with Shepherd and Souness at the club training ground yesterday, the errant pair shook hands during a photo-call which turned into something of a PR debacle when Souness claimed the two had been "having a laugh" about the fight.

Newcastle's manager was forced to release a "clarifying" statement: "When I said the players were laughing about it I did not mean the seriousness of the incident, which cannot be underestimated. I meant the implication put out by certain members of the media that the two had been at loggerheads for a long time.

"On the contrary they get on very well; that's why they were having a laugh about it while at the same time fully appreciating the seriousness of the incident."

Tottenham face a battle to hang on to Robbie Keane after the Republic of Ireland international stormed down the tunnel during the 1-1 draw with Birmingham.

The 71st-minute introduction of Egypt striker Mido provoked a furious reaction from unused Keane. But coach Martin Jol was adamant that Spurs were not worried by Keane's behaviour. He said: "Maybe Robbie was angry but it's not a problem for us, it's his problem."

Republic of Ireland skipper Kenny Cunningham, has cast doubts over whether he can stand up to the rigours of two more seasons of Premiership football.

Birmingham manager Steve Bruce believes 33-year-old can perform until 2007 and wants him to extend his contract which runs out next summer.

But Cunningham said: "When get to that age - 33, 34 - it is difficult to envisage two years down the road."