Rio Ferdinand will earn £2.4 million in wages from Manchester United and continue to receive lucrative bonuses during his impending eight-month ban, in a show of loyalty that dem- onstrates the club's unequivocal support for their most expensive player.

Although there is an argument that, by being suspended by the Football Association in England, Ferdinand may be technically in breach of his contractual terms at Old Trafford, Alex Ferguson said yesterday there was "absolutely" no way the England defender would face internal sanctions for his failure to attend a routine drugs test.

Ferdinand will continue to pick up a weekly salary of about £70,000 and, though he may have to get used to the role of spectator after the next fortnight, he will be eligible for bonus payments depending on the team's performances. As for the possibility of United docking Ferdinand the maximum two weeks' wages allowed under Professional Footballers' Association guidelines, Ferguson said: "It's never even been considered."

United's stance could be seen as going against Ferguson's pronouncement on the club's television channel a fortnight ago that Ferdinand was "wrong" not to adhere to the requirements of UK Sport's drugs testers when they arrived unannounced at United's training ground on September 23rd.

Rightly or wrongly, it will also provide ammunition for United's critics, not least within the FA's hierarchy, who believe that throughout the Ferdinand affair the club have shown an apparent disregard of the threat of drugs in football.

To put it into context, Ferguson probably fines more players for offences than any other manager in the country. A strict disciplinarian, he once docked a player's wages at Aberdeen for overtaking him in his car on their way out of the club's training ground.

The alternative viewpoint is that it merely demonstrates how strongly Ferguson and the club's chief executive, David Gill, believe Ferdinand's version of events, namely that it was a simple case of forgetfulness from a player whom one United official recently described as "forever having his head in the clouds".

It does not seem to have made the slightest difference to the thinking of the men in power at Old Trafford that the three-man FA commission which heard Ferdinand's case reportedly did not believe his story. Indeed it seems only to have strengthened Ferguson's suspicions that the game's ruling body was intent on making an example out of the country's biggest club.

A comparison could be drawn with Chelsea, who suspended Mark Bosnich without pay when he tested positive for cocaine. Bosnich, like Ferdinand, protested his innocence, but the case was proved against him. Cynics should note, however, that Chelsea had financial problems at the time and that Bosnich was not a first-team player whom they regarded as being of value to them in the future. It is doubtful in the extreme that Ferguson would have been so supportive if the player missing the drugs test had been, for example, Dwight Yorke or Fabien Barthez.

That said, United believe the Bosnich and Ferdinand cases are incomparable and, in Ferguson's words, that Ferdinand is "innocent" of deliberately breaking the FA's rules. Nike clearly think the same, having told Ferdinand his £300,000 boot deal is not in danger.

Now the FA commission has sent Ferdinand's lawyers a detailed, written explanation of its findings, the next step is for the player's legal team, together with United's solicitor, Maurice Watkins, to decide whether to lodge an appeal.

They have until January 19th to do so and if, as expected, they decide to take the matter further Ferdinand will be eligible to carry on playing until an appeal date has been set and a verdict announced, a process that could go into March.

If Ferdinand's camp decides it is too risky to appeal - should they lose, the eight-month ban might be extended - he will play at Bolton tonight, at home to Newcastle on Sunday and then make his last appearance at Wolves on Saturday week, before beginning an enforced but highly lucrative lay-off.

Meanwhile, Mohamed Al Fayed last night became the second chairman in as many days to criticise Ferguson's transfer manoeuvrings.

After PSV Eindhoven's Harry van Raaij attacked the Manchester United manager's pursuit of his forward Arjen Robben, the Fulham chairman condemned Ferguson over his pursuit of Louis Saha. "I am fed up with Sir Alex Ferguson trying to disrupt my club and constantly trying to unsettle my players," said Fayed.

"Ever since Fulham beat Manchester United at Old Trafford so convincingly he has been showing signs of increasing desperation. Obviously he needs a top-quality striker urgently, but he can't have mine.

"I have a clear message to Sir Alex and anyone else who is interested: 'Read my lips, Louis Saha is not for sale'."

United lodged a £5.5 million bid a fortnight ago, which was immediately rebuffed. Reports that a second bid of £8 million had been lodged were denied by Fulham.

Guardian Service