Ferdinand is expected to tie up his move to Wearside from West Ham United today after a medical.

But he has been troubled by a hamstring injury and Keane insist that – barring a last-minute hitch to prevent the deal – his ninth summer signing will not make the City Ground trip.

Keane said today: "We're hoping to bring Anton in. Niall Quinn and Peter Walker have been working hard on the move and I had talks with him in person, which went very well, so we hope everything should go through OK.

"Anton will not be involved (at Forest), he's had a hamstring strain and I wouldn't do that to him."

Sunderland will pay around £6million for the 23-year-old brother of Manchester United's Rio Ferdinand.

He'll pose serious competition for Nyron Nosworthy and Danny Collins, who have started the season as the Black Cats' central defensive pairing.

Regardless of new additions, Keane is likely to make relatively few changes for the cup match against Championship opposition tomorrow.

The cup competition has been targeted by the club as an area where they really want to do well this season.

Keane said "The one thing I've been really disappointed with in my time at the club is how we've done in the cups.

"We lost to Luton in this competition at the first time of asking last season and we also lost in our first involvement in the FA Cup when we went out to Wigan.

"But then you look back to the previous season and we fell at the first hurdle in the FA cup to Preston North End and when Niall was in charge, to Bury.

"So it is somewhere that we're looking to improve.

"I made a lot of changes last season when perhaps I didn't have the strength squad to do that but it is all a learning curve and we have a stronger squad this season.

"Even so I've got to remember that the most important thing here is to pick a team which I think can win the game, rather than looking at other things like who needs an hour here, or a half there.

"I don't see me making too many changes to the squad which I took down to Spurs at the weekend although Michael Chopra is suspended for tomorrow's game and Dwight Yorke is back in training and could come into contention."