A three-way showdown is looming between Football Federation Australia, Sydney FC and Alessandro Del Piero over the star forward's availability for the match between the A-League All Stars and Manchester United at ANZ Stadium on July 20.

The 38-year-old Italian is being widely promoted as the star attraction for the A-League side, but it appears he's unlikely to play against the world's biggest club. Instead, Del Piero - and the entire Sydney FC squad - are expected to be preparing for a friendly match in Japan.

"The fans have voted strongly to see Alessandro Del Piero in the All Stars team and that?s no surprise. He came with a huge reputation and lived up to it": FFA CEO David Gallop. Credit:Getty Images

It is understood Del Piero's staff have put the final touches on a match for Sydney FC against J-League side Sagan Tosu on July 24. Del Piero's profile in Japan is enormous, where the Serie A - courtesy of trailblazers such as ''Kazu'' Miura and Hidetoshi Nakata - remains extremely popular.

In June last year, Del Piero played for Vegalta Sendai in a charity match to raise funds for those affected by the 2011 tsunami and earthquake. He also put his name to a charity T-shirt drive that raised more than $300,000 for the cause.