UEFA has confirmed a Middlesbrough FC club statement that Middlesbrough player Abel Xavier tested positive for a banned substance following the English side's UEFA Cup first round second-leg tie at Skoda Xanthi FC on 29 September.

Provisional ban
Upon this basis, UEFA subsequently requested that FIFA enforce a provisional suspension of the player from all competitions worldwide. UEFA cannot make any further comment on the matter until the normal investigation process has been completed.

Free transfer
Middlesbrough signed the 32-year-old former Portuguese international defender on a free transfer in August following his release by AS Roma. He was capped 20 times by Portugal and has played for clubs across Europe including SL Benfica, Galatasaray SK, PSV Eindhoven, Everton FC and Liverpool FC.