Peter Kenyon, Chelsea chief executive, announced matches in Malaysia on July 29 and in China's southern city of Guangzhou tentatively on July 23, and said he was confident visa approval would be secured.

However he indicated the London club could be forced to cancel the Malaysian visit if Grant and Ben Haim were indeed banned from entering the country.

"We clearly could not travel without our top coach. This [tour] is a critical part of training for the 2008-2009 season," Kenyon told AFP.

"It will make no sense to travel without a key member of the coaching staff."

Boosting the profile

The incident is similar to last year's Asian visit by Manchester United, who were forced to cancel their Malaysian leg after the Asian Football Confederation complained it clashed with Malaysia's joint-hosting of the 2007 Asian Cup.

Chelsea, who have strong support in Malaysia, are scheduled to play the much-maligned national team who have slipped down the Fifa rankings to 164 after their halcyon days in the 1970s.

Their opponents in China have not yet been announced.

Kenyon said the tour was aimed at boosting football's profile in Asia, as although the Premier League is wildly popular in Malaysia and the rest of the region, the national teams attract little support and sparse crowds.

"We are delighted we are coming to Asia, in particular Malaysia," the Chelsea chief said.

"Asia is an important region for football.

"We want football in Asia to grow from the top to the grassroots [level]."

In 1997, Malaysia allowed Israel to compete in the 22-nation ICC Trophy cricket tournament in Kuala Lumpur, but the decision sparked a series of demonstrations in the capital.

Malaysia's population is dominated by Muslim Malays, but the nation is also home to large ethnic Chinese and Indian minorities.