Manchester United have given Patrice Evra special dispensation to attend the French Football Federation's World Cup disciplinary hearing tomorrow after he made a personal plea to Sir Alex Ferguson.

United are unhappy about losing their player for a date outside the international calendar and Ferguson initially wanted to block Evra from appearing, as Bayern Munich have with Franck Ribéry. However, Evra requested to be released, telling Ferguson that it was important for him to give his version of events about what led to the mutiny of Raymond Domenech's players. Evra told the United manager that, as captain, he felt it would reflect badly on him if he did not travel to Paris to answer questions about the players' infamous training-ground strike.

Nicolas Anelka, whose dressing-room row with Domenech was integral to the team's disintegration, has been summoned, along with Eric Abidal and Jérémy Toulalan.

Bayern have refused to let Ribéry take part on the basis that "our preparations [for the Bundesliga] should have priority over a World Cup debriefing".