Soccer: Ferdinand drugs ban could be put back to March

THE drawn-out Rio Ferdinand missed drugs test debacle is set to rumble on into a fifth month before it is eventually concluded.

Ferdinand was originally due to start his eight-month ban on January 12 but the England defender will now be free to play in Manchester United's Premiership encounter with Wolves at Molineux five days later, after it confirmed that clarification over the reasons behind his suspension will not be received until next week.

When the 25-year-old's advisors requested documentation on the case on December 23, four days after the guilty verdict was delivered by a three-man disciplinary panel, it was suggested it would be dispatched within a week.

However, such was the welter of evidence heard during the two-day hearing that a volume in excess of 30 pages will be submitted to Ferdinand's legal team, who will then have 14 days to decide whether to appeal the ban.

The undoubted complexities of the case have done nothing to help new chief executive Mark Palios in his efforts to speed up the Football Association's disciplinary processes.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter is certain to be irritated by what he sees as yet another needless delay to a case that was ongoing for three months before the two-day hearing was held.

It could now be late February or early March before any appeal is heard and in the meantime Ferdinand can keep playing.

Even if the former West Ham star decided not to contest the verdict, he would been eligible for up to eight matches including a possible FA Cup replay against Aston Villa after his suspension was announced at Bolton's Reebok Stadium.

Meanwhile, Ferguson has confirmed he is in the hunt for new arrivals during the transfer window but again reiterated the difficulty he has in bringing the right men.

Potential new recruits Mark Viduka, Louis Saha and Jermain Defoe all pass one of Ferguson's main criteria eligibility for Champions League combat as does Alan Smith, of whom the United boss has long been a firm admirer.

Whether Smith, a lifelong Leeds fan, could be persuaded to join his club's bitter rivals is open to doubt and Ferguson refused to confirm whether the combative England international is one of the players he has an eye on.

Ferguson will again be without John O'Shea as the Irish full-back has not yet recovered from the hamstring strain he picked up against Everton on Boxing Day.

O'Shea has also been ruled out of Wednesday's Barclaycard Premiership trip to Bolton, although he is hopeful of being fit for the home encounter with Newcastle on January 11.

Meanwhile, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is moving closer to a return after resuming training with the first team yesterday.

The Norwegian has been out of action for more than three months following a cartilage operation on his knee on September 23.

But Ferguson has revealed the player is now pencilled in for a reserve game against Birmingham on January 15.