HIDETOSHI Nakata has missed out on a third Asian Player of the Year award because of his Wanderers' commitments.

The Japan star has been told he must forfeit any chance of winning this years award because he cannot attend the ceremony on Wednesday, November 30.

That is the night of Wanderers fourth round Carling Cup tie at home to Leicester City, and Sam Allardyce has made it clear to the Asian Football Confederation that Nakata will not be permitted to travel to Kuala Lumpur for the awards ceremony.

Manchester United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, has similarly ruled out midfielder Park Ji-sung, insisting the South Korean be available for the Reds Carling Cup tie at home to West Brom.

Both Nakata and Park were frontrunners for this years award until the AFC confirmed they would invoke the rule eliminating any player unable to attend the ceremony.

A spokesman said: "The main criteria is that the recipient must be present in Kuala Lumpur. If he's not present, then he forfeits the award. And we will award it to the next player on the list."

Nakata, who is due to play for Japan in a friendly against Angola in Tokyo, won the Asian Player of the Year award in 1997 and 1998.