Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has given Rio Ferdinand permission to take part in a charity cooking contest at Old Trafford later this month despite reports suggesting he would halt the under-fire defender's off-field commitments.

The Manchester United star will battle against celebrity chef Marco Pierre White in the kitchen, alongside team-mates Edwin Van De Sar and Patrice Evra, on November 26 in aid of his latest venture, the Live the Dream Foundation.

But before being sidelined until December with a troublesome back problem, Ferguson was said to be planning an end to the England international's ever-growing list of engagements following a series of below-par performances, says the Daily Mail.