Lauren's fury over fine

Arsene Wenger could be on a collision course with Lauren, the Arsenal player punished most heavily following the Old Trafford fracas.

The Cameroon international defender is understood to be furious at his £40,000 fine and may want to appeal. That would fly in the face of Wenger's preferred course of action, which is to get the bans over and done with and spend his time working out how to get by without the absent players.

The Arsenal manager will try to persuade Lauren not to exercise his right of appeal because he has already earmarked the games he should miss.

The defender, who has never been sent off since he joined Arsenal from Real Mallorca for £5million in May 2000, was also banned for four matches but it is the size of the fine - about two weeks' wages - that has incensed him following the scenes at the end of the Manchester United game last month.

Wenger will wait until next week to meet the censured players as Vieira (one match ban, £10,000) is in France receiving treatment for a thigh injury. Martin Keown was given a three-match ban and a £20,000 fine and Ashley Cole was fined £10,000. The suspensions start in the week beginning 17 November.

Wenger will explain why he would prefer them to accept the FA decisions.

If Lauren were to miss the Premiership games against Birmingham, Fulham and Leicester - plus the Carling Cup fourth-round tie with Wolves in which he wouldn't have played anyway - then he could consider his options to cover for his absence.