Manchester United's Europa League clash with Astana has attracted over 300,000 ticket applications from fans, despite the Red Devils largely taking inexperienced kids.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has picked an 18-man squad to travel to Kazakhstan, including 14 teenagers, with United on the verge of qualification for the knockout rounds.
Of those selected, 10 players have not yet made an appearance for the United first team.
But that has not deterred the Astana locals, who are all eager to see their team feature in arguably the biggest game in the club's history.
“We’ve never known anything like it," a club source said. "United are one of the biggest clubs in the world and Astana FC regard the visit of them as an honour and a privilege.
“There have been some big games before, but nothing on this scale. We could have sold out 10 times over.”
Astana's stadium can only hold 30,000 people at capacity, meaning the vast majority are set to miss out.
Among United's squad will be 19-year-old Max Taylor, who only made a remarkable comeback to football last month after battling cancer.
Taylor said: "The position I was in this time last year, I was in my first few weeks where I had chemotherapy, I wouldn’t have thought, a year on, I’d be travelling with the first team."
Reserve goalkeeper and relative veteran in the group at 36, Lee Grant, makes the trip, along with 26-year-old Jesse Lingard and 24-year-old Luke Shaw.
United are set to be faced with freezing temperatures in the region of minus 25, and will train outside on Wednesday evening ahead of Thursday's match.
The stadium will be considerably warmer however, with a retractable roof to be in use, while the temperature inside can be controlled.
United sit top of the group on 10 points, with Astana rock bottom with zero.
A point would see United qualify for the knockout stages, or anything other than a Partizan Belgrade win in the group's other fixture against AZ Alkmaar would also see them progress.
United confirmed squad members for Astana fixture
Lee Grant, Matej Kovar, Max Taylor, Luke Shaw, Axel Tuanzebe, Dylan Levitt, Teden Mengi, DiShon Bernard, Largie Ramazani, Ethan Laird, Ethan Galbraith, Arnau Puigmal, D'Mani Bughail-Mellor, James Garner, Jesse Lingard, Tahith Chong, Angel Gomes, Mason Greenwood.
