Rio Ferdinand was not alone in feeling devastated last night when his eight-month ban for missing a drug test was upheld.

The decision is also a blow to Manchester United and England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson, because the defender not only misses the rest of this season and the start of the next but is ruled out of Euro 2004.

Though the appeal board accepted Ferdinand did not miss September's test because he had taken drugs, it stuck with the punishment handed down in December. With Ferdinand having started his ban voluntarily on January 20th, he will not be free to play again until September 20th.

The centre-half's upset was plain as he sat stony-faced beside Maurice Watkins as the United lawyer and director read out a brief statement. Watkins described Ferdinand as "very disappointed" and said the 25-year-old regarded the punishment as "unduly harsh and unprecedented".

The verdict was no surprise but will be a relief to the Football Association, even if the governing body told the three-man panel that Ferdinand's suspension should be increased to a minimum of one year in line with FIFA guidelines.

A reduction would have been a blow to the FA's chief executive, Mark Palios, when he is trying to set down a firm line on discipline, not least regarding drugs. FIFA's president, Sepp Blatter, is unlikely to press for a year's suspension now the eight-month ban stands.

Ferdinand's and United's only route of appeal now is to take their case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, but this would be risky and they are not expected to do that. The court follows the guidelines of the International Olympic Committee, which states that the punishment for missing a drugs test should be a two-year suspension and so could increase the ban.

That means the saga has almost certainly come to a close. The independent appeal board, chaired by Ian Mills QC and comprising the FA chairman, Geoff Thompson, and the senior FA councillor, Roger Burden, heard some four hours of evidence at a hotel near Heathrow. They deliberated for about two-and-a-half hours before delivering the verdict.

"Having considered the matter very fully, the appeal board has today dismissed Mr Ferdinand's appeals, both against conviction and against sanction," a spokesman said.

"It has also rejected the FA's contention that the period of suspension should be increased. In reaching its conclusions the appeal board discounted the possibility that Mr Ferdinand's reasons for not taking the test were drug-related."

That was a nod in the direction of fresh evidence presented by Ferdinand's legal team. A hair sample was produced which, it said, showed the player had not taken drugs. The issue, though, was not whether Ferdinand cheated but that he did not turn up for a mandatory drug test.

Yet the sense of injustice felt by Ferdinand and his club will be strong, because his eight-month ban is longer than that served by several players in other countries, including the former United defender Jaap Stam, for failing drug tests.

It also contrasts with the punishment given to Christian Negouai, a Manchester City reserve who was fined £2,000 but not banned for missing a test earlier last year.

"Rio is naturally very disappointed . . . as we believe the suspension of eight months was unduly harsh and unprecedented, and that remains his view," Watkins said. "We have nothing further to add tonight."

It will be a particular disappointment to Ferdinand to miss Euro 2004, and that feeling will be shared by Eriksson, who has described Ferdinand's absence as "bad for the team and for football".

He will also sit out at least the first two qualifiers for the 2006 World Cup, in Austria and Poland. He could return for the home match with Wales on October 9th, though he will have had little competitive action.

United said last night that Ferdinand would join them on their summer tour to the US, though he will not play in any matches.

"The decision has been taken to uphold his eight-month ban, we have put a short statement out saying we are disappointed and are going to sleep on it overnight," reflected chief executive David Gill. "But he will be on the trip and will be training with the team and will be doing any of the community and other activities that we have in mind for the trip."

The club's distress at the verdict was no shock. United have been badly hit by Ferdinand's removal, falling away in the Premiership and going out of the Champions League. The change in their defensive record has been startling.

Eriksson will trust that England's back four is not similarly affected. Ferdinand certainly has a big gap to fill before his life returns to normality.