Manchester City midfielder Nigel de Jong has refused to hang Rio Ferdinand out to dry after their post-match FA Cup brawl.
Manchester United defender Ferdinand then waded into the bust-up and had a heated exchange with City coach David Platt, warning him that they need to keep Mario Balotelli under control.
City players, meanwhile, refused to point the finger at Ferdinand, with De Jong saying: "On reflection, I am not going to say Rio swore at Platt.
"Rio is already p***** off with us, so no point risking something we can't prove."
