Manchester United to appeal against Rio Ferdinand's four-match ban

• Champions to take on FA over sanction for a second time

• Risk losing defender for Carling Cup final

Manchester United are to appeal against the four-match ban the Football Association have handed to Rio Ferdinand.

The defender was originally given a three-match ban by the FA after video footage showed him lashing out at Craig Fagan during United's 4-0 win against Hull earlier this month only for the sanction to be extended on the basis of what the governing body described to be a 'frivolous appeal'.

That makes United's latest appeal particularly risky, particularly as should the FA come down hard on the Premier League champions again then Ferdinand will miss the Carling Cup final against Aston Villa on 28 February.

The 31-year-old has already missed United's 3-1 victory over Arsenal on Sunday and will have to also sit out their match with Portsmouth on Saturday and visit to Villa next Wednesday.