Manchester United boss Ferguson tells Ferdinand he will have to play less games

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has told centre-back Rio Ferdinand that he will have to play less games for the sake of his career, according to the Daily Mail. England captain Ferdinand is injured again with his troublesome back injury and there is little indication of when he will be fit, although Ferguson hopes it will be only a short spell out.

The Manchester United defender will miss the Carling Cup final on Sunday and having been a regular performer for the past few seasons has only made eleven appearances for United this season. Only twice has he played in two consecutive matches.

Ferguson is now likely to use Ferdinand sparingly, following the World Cup, in the same way that he does with Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs . The Welshman's career has undoubtedly been prolonged by his carefully selected performances which have helped deal with his back and hamstring problems.

According to the Daily Mail, Manchester United 's medical team have analyzed every aspect of Ferdinand's routine to help alleviate his back problem, but are resigned to the idea that it will never be fully cured.