Wanderers have confirmed the second phase of their warm-up for the Premiership will take place in the Middle East.

Sam Allardyce has accepted an invitation to compete in a 10-team international tournament in Saudi Arabia in August.

Wanderers, who have friendlies scheduled against Paris St German in Paris on Saturday, July 21, and FC Gandia in Spain on Thursday, July 26, will play four games in six days in the qualifying stage of the tournament, kicking off against Jubilo Iwata of Japan on Thursday, August 2. They meet KSK Beveren (Belgium) on Friday Aug 3, Fortuna Sittard (Holland) on Saturday the 4th and Germinal Beerschot Antwerpen (GBA) on Monday the 6th.

Royal Antwerp (Belgium), Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia), Salgueiros (Portugal), Las Palmas (Spain) and NAC Breda (Holland) will be in the second qualifying group.

The semi-finals, involving the top in each group, are scheduled for August 8 with the final for the King Fahd Cup on the 10th.

"The tournament will open new horizons for us," Wanderers' assistant manager, Phil Brown, said. "The qualifying games will be two 30 minute periods, which in the intense heat will duplicate two 45 minutes in this country.

"If we progress to the semi-finals and final we will step up to 90 minutes but, in any case, we will be well prepared for the Premier League by the time we get back."

The friendly against Spanish Club Athletic Bilbao, scheduled for the Reebok on Saturday, Aug 4, has now been cancelled.

Press reports in Copenhagen claim Wanderers have made an official approach for Danish striker Henrik Pedersen, who scored 20 goals for Silkeborg last season.

Wanderers could switch their sights to Norwich City's out of contract keeper, Andy Marshall, if they miss out on Matt Clarke.

Allardyce has made no secret of the fact that the Bradford City man is his number one target but he has yet to strike a deal with the Yorkshire club.

Marshall, born in Bury but raised in Peterborough, is lined up for a Bosman free transfer to Ipswich but he insisted today: "It is not cut and dried. I am talking to two other Premiership clubs and I'm keeping my options open."

He refused to confirm or deny whether Wanderers were one of the clubs vying for his signature but stressed: "It won't be about money, it will be a football decision."

George Burley is keen to recruit Marshall as replacement for Richard Wright, who is expected to complete a £6 million move to Arsenal when he returns from holiday in Cyprus. And he has the advantage of having Malcolm Webster - Marshall's goalkeeping coach - on his backroom staff at Portman Road.