FA expected to charge Ferdinand on Thursday

THE Football Association are expected to charge Rio Ferdinand with misconduct on Thursday as a result of his failure to attend a drugs test last month.

Documentation, including Ferdinand’s mobile phone records, were sent by Manchester United to the FA yesterday.

The FA’s compliance unit will spend today studying the evidence and, though they could announce charges tomorrow with United playing Rangers in the Champions League that night, they will wait until at least the following day before making any announcement.

Ferdinand is certain to face at least one charge of failing to attend an anti-doping test and the FA will have to decide whether there is enough evidence to charge him with wilful or deliberate failure to attend the drugs test on September 23. That is a more severe charge and would carry a certain ban.