Eriksson hopes drug ban cut back

Sven-Goran Eriksson is hoping Rio Ferdinand will have his drugs ban cut so he can play for England at Euro 2004 this summer.

The Manchester United defender’s appeal against his eight-month suspension for missing a drugs test will start on Thursday.

And Eriksson will join Alex Ferguson in crossing his fingers for a favourable verdict for Ferdinand.

He told Sky Sports News: “Of course I hope (that his ban is reduced).

“I don’t know what’s going to happen but if he could have a lesser punishment, I should be happy.

“If that’s fair or not, I will leave for the other people to decide.”

If he was in any doubt as to Ferdinand’s usefulness, Eriksson has seen the effect of the defender’s absence on Manchester United, who also appear to be struggling to replace David Beckham.

Eriksson said: “I’m sure they miss Rio Ferdinand. Because if you see the difference between now and the beginning of the season, you can see they miss him.

“Whether they miss David Beckham, you’d have to ask Sir Alex Ferguson.”

The Swede is optimistic his wish for a winter break will be fulfilled following a meeting with the FA Council.

“I’ve been to many meetings about this,” added Eriksson.

“Today, it was the FA Council and they were very supportive. I hope it will come through and I’m pretty sure it will because it’s agreed on; not only by me, it’s agreed on by the players, all the managers in the Premier League, all the chairman in the Premier League support it.

“So I can’t see any reason why we won’t have it.”

The England manager’s future was once again questioned at the weekend, with reports claiming that Celtic manager Martin O’Neill was being lined up as his replacement.

But the sanguine Swede, although irritated by the pressure on him to sign an extension to the deal which runs out in the summer of 2006, is well used to speculation.

He said: “I don’t feel any pressure (to sign a new deal) but I feel very annoyed to read about it, hear about and to be asked about it every day.

“I have a contract. We’re going to discuss (an extension) in the future, we have not said when, with (FA chief executive) Mark Palios and some other people at the FA.

“I have been in a very good school in that way. I worked for 13 and a half years in Italy and the rumours about changing managers and signing players, things like that, are an every day occurrence.”