Sir Alex Ferguson sees no reason for a 39th game in the Premier League season and insists that Manchester United would not find the time to play it anyway.

The United manager is in the Japan for the Club World Cup, which begins tomorrow and has added two games to his side's season, while forcing a Premier League match against Wigan to be postponed.

With a cramped schedule that also includes competing for the Champions League and the two domestic cup competitions, Ferguson insists the 39th game concept is flawed.

"I don't think there will ever be a 39th game and I don't believe there should be," he said. "I certainly am not in favour of it. You look at our domestic programme allied to our cup competitions. It is impossible."

Ferguson's side faces Gamba Osaka, of Japan, on Thursday and, probably, LDU Quito, of Ecuador, on Sunday. "Playing different opposition doesn't do us any harm," he said.

"For a start, the improvement in Japanese football since we first came here on tour in 1989 is obvious. There is tremendous improvement in terms of technical ability and the organisation ability of the teams.

"It is a young country as far as football is concerned but it is an up-and-coming country producing some very good footballers."

Ferguson dismisses the suggestion that the Club World Cup is an irrelevance and that United will treat it lightly. "This has to be viewed as a serious challenge," he said. "In England the media don't look at it the same way as we do.

"It started in 1960 with the European champions against their South American counterparts and, up until four years ago, that was the format. But the world has grown and countries like Japan, Korea and China are developing football very strongly. So there has to be a better balance of teams involved.

"I accept there are difficulties but the facilities are excellent and you can make a 12-hour trip comfortable nowadays. In 30 years' time we might be able to look back and say Manchester United were world champions. That is what our club is about. That is why I want to win it and why it is important to win it."

Ferguson will assess the fitness of his players before selecting his side to face Gamba, who qualified for the competition by beating Adelaide United in the Asian Champions League Final. Ben Foster, the goalkeeper, has withdrawn from the squad after breaking a finger in training.