Manny Pacquiao (center) of the Philippines seemingly enjoys a playful punch from Dallas Cowboys Michael Irvin (right) as Cowboys owner Jerry Jones watches during a workout in Grapevine, Texas, Tuesday. (REUTERS)

DALLAS, Texas — Joshua Clottey is going to send Manny Pacquiao straight to the hospital on Saturday night (Sunday Manila time).

This was the belief of Kwaku Gyanfi, who is part of Clottey’s entourage of four men, when Filipino scribes bumped into him at the lobby of the Gaylord Texan Resort and Casino here late Tuesday night.

Because Pacquiao will spend some time being attended to by doctors after their scheduled 12-round world welterweight title match at Cowboys Stadium, Gyanfi boasted that “Pacquiao won’t be able to perform after the fight.”

The colorful member of Clottey’s team is aware of the lavish partycum-concert that Pacquiao is lining up after the match for his friends and followers.

“He will be going straight to the hospital. He will all be cut up and bruised. He won’t be able to sing. He is going to be hit with a brick,” said Gyanfi, who is known within the Clottey circle as Alligator.

Aside from attending to Clottey’s training needs, he also cooks for his fellow Ghanaian. To this, Gyanfi said: “African food makes his punches powerful.”

Another key member of Team Clottey, former Pacquiao cutman Lenny De Jesus, has a more pragmatic assessment of the fight.

“It’ll be a tough and interesting fight. Freddie has a surprise for me. I have a surprise for him as well. If he knew this is going to be an easy fight, he’d be talking a lot more,” said De Jesus.

De Jesus was in Pacquiao’s corner in the fights against Emmanuel Lucero, Marco Antonio Barrera, Juan Manuel Marquez, Fahsan 3K Battery and Erik Morales (first fight).

He noted that while Roach has been quoted as saying that Pacquiao is going to become the first fighter to deal Clottey a knockout defeat, he maintained that the 50-year-old strategist knows they’re in for some rough sailing.

“Now he is (even more) being careful with what he is saying,” said De Jesus.

In preparing against Pacquiao’s blazing hand speed and paralyzing power, De Jesus said Clottey has sparred for 90 rounds with southpaws like Pacquiao.

When asked why the number of sparring rounds did not reach the century mark, De Jesus said: “Clottey sent them all out of the ring after only four rounds.”

Meanwhile, the Associated Press reported that about 41,000 tickets have been sold for the Pacquiao-Clottey match.

That’s around 4,000 away from a sellout for the first boxing match at the $1.2 billion stadium.

Promoter Bob Arum says he’s not sure whether people are coming to see Pacquiao – widely considered the best boxer, pound per pound – or this showplace facility, which Arum called “the greatest venue in the world.”

Arum said he’s eager to hold more fights at the home of the Dallas Cowboys. He said on a conference call that Kelly Pavlik, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and other boxers will be at the fight in hopes of getting to become headliners there.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said his stadium becoming a top destination would boost the sport of boxing. (With a report from AP)