Ferguson blasts FA

Man Utd 2-3 Middlesbrough

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has accused the Football Association of being too hard on his players at disciplinary hearings.

Ferguson believes Scholes will be given a three-match ban for a tussle with Doriva against Middlesbrough.

"There is a scenario for every club in the country and another one for us.

"We expect Paul to have a difficult hearing. Put it this way, I don't think he will get the same hearing as other players get," said Ferguson.

The Scot is still seething over the eight-month ban meted out to Rio Ferdinand for missing a drugs test last September.

He also hit out at Sven-Goran Eriksson's decision to play Nicky Butt and Phil Neville for much of England's friendly in Sweden last month.

Scholes will go before an FA disciplinary panel on Monday to answer charges of violent conduct.

He was charged for his two-handed push in the face of Doriva at Old Trafford on 11 February.

The 29-year-old will be handed a three-match ban if he is found guilty though he has 14 days to appeal.

Scholes would miss games against Charlton, Liverpool and Blackburn.

But if he chose to use the two-week period available before starting his ban he runs the risk of missing the FA Cup final.

Scholes demanded a personal hearing to defend himself after referee Paul Durkin did not include the incident in his match report, but it was picked up on television replays.

Ferguson has defended his player over the incident.

He earlier said: "We can appeal and we will. The referee was only five or six yards away. He said he didn't see it. It was something and nothing really."