Rio Ferdinand has until 5 p.m. today to respond to the English Football Association charge over his missed drugs test.

The Manchester United and England defender has been accused of "failure or refusal to submit to drug testing" after his examination by UK Sport testers did not take place at United's Carrington training ground on September 23rd.

The FA announced the action they were planning to take against the 25-year-old on Wednesday, October 29th.

But, because their letter outlining the charges did not arrive at Old Trafford until the following morning, Ferdinand's 14 days to reply run until 5 p.m. today - not yesterday, as previously thought.

When the charge was made, a United statement read: "Rio Ferdinand will be responding to the charge and seeking a personal hearing."

Both FIFA president Sepp Blatter and World Anti-Doping Agency chairman Dick Pound have criticised the delay in dealing with the case - it is now more than seven weeks since Ferdinand missed his test - so the FA are under pressure to act as soon as they receive his response.

The wording of Ferdinand's charge to include "refusal" indicates the FA believe there was a deliberate element to him missing the test.

If Ferdinand - Britain's most expensive player at £30 million - is unable to convince the FA disciplinary panel he simply forgot UK Sport had asked to test him, a ban is virtually certain.

A two-year suspension is the maximum punishment although around three months would be more likely.

Ferdinand was controversially omitted from the England squad to face Turkey last month because of missing the test - and he is again absent as Sven-Goran Eriksson's men take on Denmark on his home pitch on Sunday.

The Ferdinand issue is one of several of high-profile cases causing a backlog in the FA's disciplinary department.

The FA yesterday reflected on the contents of a letter from Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson.

The letter explained why the United boss claimed Arsenal did a deal with the FA over the punishment for their players charged following the 0-0 draw at Old Trafford in September.

The FA say the incident involving Leeds striker Alan Smith, who threw a bottle back into the Elland Road crowd during the 3-2 League Cup defeat by Manchester United last month, will be assessed once a police investigation into the matter is completed.

Meanwhile, the FA are unlikely to take any action over the tunnel bust-up between Middlesbrough and Wolves at the Riverside Stadium earlier this month.

It is understood there is a lack of evidence of the incident.

Elsewhere, Craig Bellamy's long-term future at Newcastle United is in doubt.

It emerged yesterday that Bellamy was summoned to St James' Park on Tuesday for a meeting with Newcastle's chairman Freddy Shepherd at which Shepherd made plain his annoyance with the Welshman's attitude over the past few months.

Bellamy was said to have left St James' looking subdued, though in confirming their meeting, Shepherd would say only: "What was said was private. The matter is now closed."

But it is understood Newcastle will be willing to listen to offers for Bellamy once he recovers from his knee surgery, which he underwent last month.

He is expected to play again in late January or early February and, if he proves his fitness, Newcastle would look to recoup the pounds £6 million they paid Coventry.

Newcastle, and Shepherd in particular, have become increasingly frustrated by Bellamy's perceived ranking of country above club, especially since August.

In March, he returned injured from a Wales win in Azerbaijan. This season, he suffered a further knock while on Welsh duty in Serbia-Montenegro, after which the volatile 24-year-old striker considered his future. He did not play another Newcastle game before Wales fielded him in Italy in September.