Manchester United will try to shrug off jet-lag and poor form this morning (10.10, Sky Sports 1) as they take another tired step towards global domination with an Intercontinental Cup match against Palmeiras of Brazil.
The annual tie, which pits the champions of Europe and South America, has long been used unofficially to crown the world's top side, a title that would sit nicely with Manchester United's claims to be the richest club on the planet.
But the honour may be outweighed by the hassle of a gruelling 12,500-mile round-trip to the other side of the globe at a point in the season when the Treble winners have already begun to show signs of fatigue.
Manchester United's players certainly looked exhausted after flying in on Saturday. The club has cancelled one training session and postponed a press conference at the last minute so the players could get extra rest. Their opponents, who include the former Newcastle United maverick Faustino Asprilla, arrived three days earlier to ensure they had time to acclimatise.
For Palmeiras, who have just finished a disappointing 10th in the Brazilian league, this is the biggest game of the year. For Manchester United it is only one of two shots at a "world title" as, in January, Alex Ferguson's globetrotters will take part in FIFA's World Club Championship in Brazil.
Compared to that two-week event, this morning's match threatens to pale into a League Cup level of insignificance. But Ferguson insists that, despite bringing a squad missing Andy Cole, he is determined to make United the first British side to secure the trophy.
"We are serious about winning because it will go down in the record books as a world championship match," said Ferguson. "When these situations present themselves, at Manchester United it is the culture of the club to try and win." They will certainly receive strong support from 55,000 fans in the National Stadium. In a country famously obsessed with international brand-name goods, Manchester United have become football's best-selling designer label.
David Beckham looms out of advertising billboards here, other players grace the covers of magazines and Red Devil scarves and merchandising are selling like hot cakes. The players were mobbed by screaming fans when they arrived at Narita airport on Saturday.
Tickets for the game, sponsored by Toyota, sold out in less than an hour and touts have been asking £250. "In any year the Toyota Cup is the biggest club game in Japan, but this year the excitement has been greater than ever as it is Manchester United," said Tomoko Sasaki, a sports writer for the Hochi newspaper.
United are also guaranteed a £1.4 million pay-day. Toyota provides £400,000 just for showing up and Sky have reportedly paid £1 million for exclusive broadcasting rights. Whatever happens on the pitch, Manchester United's eastern exodus has already confirmed it as the biggest club in the world.
Nicky Butt looks certain to miss the match after injuring his wrist in training, while Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer seem likely to play up front in Cole's absence.
MANCHESTER UNITED (from): Bosnich, Taibi; Silvestre, Stam, Irwin, G Neville, P Neville, Higginbotham, Wallwork; Scholes, Butt, Beckham, Keane, Fortune, Giggs; Yorke, Sheringham, Solskjaer.
