Ferdinand hoping for Reebok treble

Rio Ferdinand was set to head back to the Reebok Stadium this morning still hoping he will be allowed to make it three appearances in a month.

Ferdinand spent seven hours sweating on his future in Bolton yesterday and was likely to be back for at least as long today as a three-man Football Association commission determine his fate.

The £29.3m (€41.7m) British record signing faces a misconduct charge into his failure to take a drugs test at Manchester United’s Carrington training ground on September 23.

Unless he can prove his innocence, Ferdinand faces a maximum two-year ban - which would rule the England star out of, among many other fixtures, United’s Barclaycard Premiership visit to Bolton on January 7.

Ferdinand has put together an expensive legal team to fight his corner, headed by leading QC Ronald Thwaites and also including United director Maurice Watkins who accompanied the player up the M61 yesterday.

Despite the length of time spent discussing the case yesterday, it is not believed Ferdinand has started his defence – and his club boss Sir Alex Ferguson and former West Ham team-mate Eyal Berkovic are among those expected to offer verbal evidence on the 25-year-old’s behalf.

United team doctor Mike Stone is also expected to be in attendance, and his evidence will be crucial in establishing whether Ferdinand merely forgot to take the test as he claims or whether he wilfully avoided it.

The three men determining Ferdinand’s fate – chairman Barry Bright, who handed down Roy

Keane’s eight-match suspension last year, Peter Herd and Frank Pattison - were given a tour of Carrington before yesterday’s proceedings got under way.

It is thought they were shown the area set aside for the tests to take place and the various exits within the multi-million pound complex.

In compliance with the FA’s decision not to offer any insight into the opening day’s arguments, Bright refused to even confirm whether he expected the case to drag on beyond tonight’s expected conclusion.

PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor, who has been so critical of the FA’s handling of the affair, was in attendance as an observer throughout the proceedings. But he too departed without comment.

While admitting he forgot to take the test, Ferdinand was expected to argue that within 90 minutes of leaving the training ground he offered to return to Carrington and provide a sample.

The offer is believed to have been rejected because only one UK Sport official remained at the site and the temporary testing centre had been closed.

Ferdinand, who has never tested positive for any banned substance, eventually provided a sample on September 25 which proved to be negative.

The FA have been widely criticised for letting the case drag on for almost three months, from the day Ferdinand failed to show for his test until the start of his hearing.

FIFA chief executive Sepp Blatter has been among those to condemn the FA most vigorously and has hinted he would be prepared to increase the eventual punishment should he deem it not to be severe enough.

Blatter’s stance has placed the FA in a very uncomfortable position, because United are also expected to point to the decision to fine Manchester City midfielder Christian Negouai for a similar offence earlier this year as precedent.

The case – the biggest disciplinary matter the FA have had to deal with since Eric Cantona launched himself into the crowd at Selhurst Park eight years ago - has completely overshadowed United’s visit to Tottenham on Sunday.

No matter what the outcome, Ferdinand will be free to play at White Hart Lane - because any suspension would not be set until 14 days after the hearing concluded.

It is just as well, for Ferdinand’s likely deputy – fellow England international Wes Brown, who has only just recovered from his second cruciate knee ligament operation – has been on official club duty in China with Sir Bobby Charlton since Monday and is not due back until later today.

United need maximum points from Tottenham to maintain their title push, although it could be argued Ferdinand may not be mentally prepared to play if he should receive a lengthy suspension.

Sven-Goran Eriksson is among those to have provided written statements on the player’s behalf and the England boss will be another to hope the damage on Ferdinand’s career is not too serious, because the Londoner was supposed to be a central figure for next summer’s European Championships.

England are due to begin their campaign against France in Lisbon on June 13 - and even the three-month ban which has been suggested as a likely outcome would place his participation in doubt, given Ferdinand’s consequent lack of match practice going into the tournament.