A walk in the park against Belarus is no preparation for a South African safari, but after enduring a difficult few days, Rio Ferdinand should not have to contemplate an unwanted holiday next summer.

Ferdinand does not take rejection well so it is good that he is not knocked back very often. On the most recent occasion he was dropped from the England team, by Sven-Göran Eriksson four years ago, the Manchester United defender described how the experience “tore his head apart”, a melodramatic reaction to being left out for a World Cup qualifier, but a genuine one nonetheless.

Ferdinand’s initial response to being replaced by Sol Campbell against Austria was even more over the top. In his autobiography he recalls a conversation with David Beckham before kick-off at Old Trafford in which he said “there goes my World Cup”, but such apocalyptic predictions were wide of the mark. Ferdinand replaced the injured Campbell during the second half and regained his place in the starting XI for the next match, against Poland, to the relief of Jeremy Beadle enthusiasts everywhere. Germany’s uplifting garden party would not have been the same without Rio Ferdinand’s World Cup Wind-Ups.

A more confident Ferdinand did not fear that his World Cup place had been jeopardised by his recent misadventures against Ukraine and Holland, although his right to a starting position has been questioned for the first time in years. The narrative of his career has been that of a talented young man battling to fulfil his obvious potential only to be let down by lapses of judgment, whether it be a defensive aberration, drink-driving charge or missed drugs test.

Ferdinand’s head, whether torn apart or not, has hindered his progress for several years, although having passed 30 he has encountered another problem. For the first time in his career his head is strong but his body is weak.

His enduring talent is not in question, but his ability to cope with the rigours of tournament football after a long season most certainly is. The 31-year-old’s record of missing more than half the matches in which he was expected to appear in the past six months does not inspire confidence, but even more worrying is an apparent change in physique. Most players deprived of football have a tendency to put on weight, but Ferdinand looks as if he has been on a starvation diet, his once-toned figure so lean as to be almost gaunt. The cause is unclear, and he may simply have been overtraining as a result of being confined to the gym.

Fitness permitting, it is inconceivable that Ferdinand would be omitted from Fabio Capello’s World Cup squad — the Italian does not indulge in wind-ups — but once in South Africa, his contributions cannot be guaranteed.

For much of his reign Capello has been leaving selection decisions to match day to see how Ferdinand’s back has responded to a night’s sleep, and although the player claimed last week that such problems were behind him, one sensed he was protesting too much. Three games in the space of a week may be beyond him, particularly if extra time becomes a factor in the knockout stages.

Coasting through a dead qualifier proves little other than that his head is right. In the reverse fixture in Minsk 12 months ago, Belarus caused considerable problems in the opening half-hour. Last night the visiting team created nothing until Sergei Omelyanchuk exposed Wayne Bridge and brought a good save from Ben Foster in the 65th minute, with Ferdinand’s only involvement being several clearing headers and the concession of a needless free kick. Perhaps the best thing that could be said of his performance is that it went unnoticed, a greater compliment to a defender of his type than it seems.

Tougher tests lie ahead, and not just against Brazil in Doha, Qatar, next month. United’s fixture list is unremitting in its intensity, with the physical challenge of Bolton Wanderers on Saturday followed by two Champions League ties against CSKA Moscow, separated by a trip to Anfield to face Liverpool.

Only after coming through four games in ten days and surviving a tussle with Fernando Torres can Ferdinand begin contemplating the World Cup with real confidence.