The 29-year-old sat out the Vikings’ defeat against New England Patriots at the weekend but had been reinstated by the franchise, a decision which led to widespread criticism.

However after discussions with the league, the Vikings have placed Peterson on the Exempt/Commissioner’s Permission list to allow Peterson to ’take care of his personal situation until the legal proceedings are resolved’.

Owners Zygi Wilf and Mark Wilf said in a statement published on the team’s website: “While we were trying to make a balanced decision yesterday, after further reflection we have concluded that this resolution is best for the Vikings and for Adrian.

“We want to be clear: we have a strong stance regarding the protection and welfare of children, and we want to be sure we get this right. At the same time we want to express our support for Adrian and acknowledge his seven-plus years of outstanding commitment to this organisation and this community.

“Adrian emphasised his desire to avoid further distraction to his team-mates and coaches while focusing on his current situation; this resolution accomplishes these objectives as well.

“We will support Adrian during this legal and personal process, but we firmly believe and realise this is the right decision. We hope that all of our fans can respect the process that we have gone through to reach this final decision.”

Peterson issued a statement earlier in the week saying he was “sorry about the hurt I have brought to my child” and denied he was a child abuser.

“I have to live with the fact that when I disciplined my son the way I was disciplined as a child, I caused an injury that I never intended or thought would happen,” he said.