Manchester United could be prevented from playing a friendly match in Malaysia in case their visit overshadows the final stages of the Asian Cup, for which the country is one of four hosts. David Gill, the United chief executive, is in Kuala Lumpur in an attempt to negotiate a solution, but approval for the match must be given by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), which seems unlikely because it also oversees the Asian Cup.

The cup runs from July 7-29, with matches staged in Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam, as well as Malaysia. United were invited to play on July 27 by the Malaysian Government as part of the celebrations to mark the 50th anniversary of the nation’s independence. The Asian Cup semi-finals take place two days earlier, in Hanoi and Kuala Lumpur. The final will be played in Jakarta two days after United’s visit.

Mohamed Bin Hammam, the president of the AFC who believes that United should reschedule their match, met Gill and Sir David Richards, the FA Premier League chairman, with senior figures from the Malaysian Government yesterday. However, United’s other preseason commitments, which include matches in Japan, South Korea and Macau, and a friendly against Inter Milan at Old Trafford on August 1, are likely to rule out a change of date.

“This match is a key element of the Malaysian Government’s celebrations of its 50 years of independence and presents a marvellous opportunity for us to play in front of our many Malaysian fans,” an official statement from United read. “Unfortunately, new information has come to the club’s attention today concerning the FAM’s [Football Association Malaysia] agreement with the AFC to act as host for the Asian Cup, which means the club cannot play the game without the official approval of the AFC.

“The club hopes that the issues can be resolved by the relevant parties to ensure that this celebration match can take place as planned.”