CRAIG Brown will call on jet-setting Jamaican Ricardo Fuller to shake off the jetlag for the second time in a week and repeat his early-season performances before the Sky cameras on Friday

The Jamaican striker arrived back in London from visiting his American surgeon on Saturday morning -- just in time to join his team-mates on the way to Gillingham.

His goal temporarily pulled North End backed into the game at the Priestfield, and Brown praised want-away Fuller for managing to turn on the flair despite a severe lack of sleep.

Fuller was back on the other side of the Atlantic again this week -- along with Claude Davis and American Eddie Lewis -- for the Jamaica v USA World Cup qualifier.

Time differences mean that it will be a desperate rush back to the UK for the three, giving them virtually no time to prepare for tomorrow night's game, North End's first of the season to be broadcast live.

And Brown said: "It's not a situation we're happy with, but there is nothing we can do about it.

"We'll just have to see what they are like when they land, but certainly Ricardo proved he can still play well even with jetlag."

After the eurphoria of an opening-day victory -- against Watford -- and the brave draw against Wolves which followed, Saturday's defeat at Gillingham was something of a disappointment.

One of the favourites to make the play-offs, Sheffield United should provide a tough opposition, although they have five players overseas and seven players injured at the moment.

On the international front, Andrew Lonergan didn't start in England's U21 game, a disappointment given his recent exploits.

Both Northern Ireland strikers, David Healy and Andy Smith, have been on duty in Switzerland.

As for Fuller's globe-trotting, the all-clear from his Amercian surgeon was expected to prompt a new bidding war.

But so far he seems to have refused a pay-per-play deal with Portsmouth, which might mean he remains a North End player until the transfer window swings open in the new year.