FERGIE ON RIO BAN

Fergie:

“I keep examining the whole process at United — are we right, are we wrong? And I look at Rio and we have got to support him. There is absolutely no evidence at all here.

“It’s not easy. As I keep saying, no one is unbreakable. You wonder what’s going on underneath the surface of the guy — is he ready to break with the strain put on him? How is he feeling in himself? It’s very difficult to assess the situation accurately.

“I spoke to him before the Spurs game and said: ‘Do you really want to play now?’ He said he wanted to play and I admire that in a way, it took the decision away from me. He’s innocent. He was wrong not to go there (for the test), we know that, but we just have to keep supporting him.

“The players have been great with him. There’s been a lot of mickey-taking as you would expect but in the main, they really feel for him. He knows he has plenty of support.”

From the MEN:

Meanwhile, United have requested written clarification for the reasons behind Rio Ferdinand's eight-month drugs ban.

Ferdinand was today officially notified of the punishment, handed down by an independent three-man commission at Bolton last Friday and we understand United immediately made their request on his behalf in line with FA regulations.

While the decision will prolong the amount of time Ferdinand has to appeal against his suspension, United feel they are justified in asking for further details as the central defender and his legal team ponder their next course of action.

Because of an anticipated delay over the Christmas holidays, United do not expect to receive a reply until early next week, probably by fax.

It is only when the response is sent that Ferdinand's 14-day appeal deadline kicks in.

So, should the reply be issued on Monday as anticipated, the 25-year-old will have to decide by January 12 - the day his ban is due to start - whether he was going to contest the suspension.