Portugal and Middlesbrough FC defender Abel Xavier was yesterday found guilty by FIFA of the use of performance enhancing drugs, and has been banned from all competitive play for 18 months, and in so denying the experienced defender any chance of playing for Portugal in next Summer's World Cup finals.

His club side Middlesbrough FC will not make a full statement on their actions until Friday, when they will have discussed the implications of FIFA’s hearing in Nyon yesterday, at which the 32-year-old Portuguese International became the first ever Barclays Premiership player to be convicted of using performance-enhancing, rather than recreational drugs.

However, with manager Steve McClaren admitting there is no place in his club for any player found to be abusing drugs, the former Liverpool FC and Everton full-back is now facing a very bleak future indeed.

Middlesbrough manager Steve McClaren said of Xavier’s ban, prior to his sides UEFA Cup match against AZ Alkmaar on Thursday, "We will always condemn that. In this situation, it's just unfortunate that our club, Middlesbrough, is involved."

"We are going to take a couple of days to digest everything before we put out a full statement and decide what to do. It's disappointing, but our reaction will come in the next couple of days."

McClaren will sit down with ‘Boro chairman Steve Gibson, chief executive Keith Lamb and Xavier's legal representatives, who have indicated that the Portugal International intends to contest FIFA’s decision, having protested his innocence all along, to decide what actions the club will take.

With Xavier having onl just signed a 12-month contract in August, his International, and club career appears to be over unless FIFA’s disciplinary chiefs somehow change their decision in any appeal.

Yesterday, Boro’s head of communications, Dave Allan, said: "We are aware of the (FIFA) decision and the clear implications it has for Abel and for his contract with Middlesbrough Football Club.

"However, we have an important game tomorrow night and we will not be making any further comment until Friday," he added.

Xavier was banned by FIFA after testing positive for the banned substance methandienone, also known as dianabol, following Middlesbrough’s UEFA Cup trip to Greek side Skoda Xanthi on the 29th of September. Xavier attended yesterday's hearing, but he was unable to prove his innocence.

UEFA said in a statement: "The player was found guilty of being in breach of the UEFA anti-doping regulations. As a result, the UEFA control and disciplinary body decided to impose an 18-month ban on Abel Xavier. This decision may be appealed against within three days of receipt of the written reasoning."

As yet there has been no confirmation of the defender’s wish to appeal to the decision.

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