Ferdinand laid low by food poisoning during Malaysia trip

Les Ferdinand has been laid low by food poisoning during a trip to Malaysia to meet QPR’s owners.

The Rangers director of football is in Kuala Lumpur to discuss the club’s search for new head coach.

Ferdinand, who was due to attend a fans forum at Loftus Road on Thursday, has been advised by doctors not to travel for at least 24 hours.

Several managers have been touted as possible contenders to replace the sacked Chris Ramsey, including Tim Sherwood and Nigel Pearson.

Neither are currently being considered for the job but at this stage it is unclear how much of an input Neil Warnock, who favours Pearson, will have.

Former Rangers manager Warnock was placed in interim charge following Ramsey’s exit, is keen to influence the recruitment process and would like a role at Loftus Road similar to the one currently held by Ferdinand.

Pearson, a leading contender for the Fulham manager’s job, was sacked by Leicester City in June following a number of run-ins with the Midlands club’s owners, who are friends of QPR’s co-chairmen Ruben Gnanalingam and Tony Fernandes.

Sherwood was lined up to replace Harry Redknapp at QPR last year but Fernandes later became reluctant to appoint him and instead pursued Paul Clement, who was then assistant boss at Real Madrid and is now Derby manager, before eventually installing Ramsey.

Former Tottenham manager Sherwood is available, having recently been sacked by Aston Villa, but the Rangers hierarchy do not currently regard him as a candidate.