Sven-Goran Eriksson believes Didier Drogba could be fit for the Ivory Coast's World Cup opener. The Elephants saw their pre-tournament preparations rocked when their talismanic striker broke his arm in a warm-up fixture.
It was initially feared that the Chelsea forward would be forced to sit out the opening exchanges of the World Cup as he nursed his way back to full fitness.
His absence would be keenly felt by Ivory Coast, with the weight of goalscoring expectation placed squarely on Drogba's shoulders.
With the Africans having also been drawn alongside Brazil, Portugal and North Korea in the so-called 'Group of Death', it is vital they have their top stars available.
Drogba slips into that category and his involvement is imperative if Ivory Coast are to progress to the knockout stages.
Eriksson knows as much, but the Swedish coach is confident he will have his most potent attacking weapon available to him for a tricky fixture against Portugal on Tuesday.
"If the game had been today or tomorrow he wouldn't have been able to play, but there are still a few days," he said.
"He might play against Portugal."
Eriksson has also played down any suggestion that Drogba's injury has disrupted his plans and forced the Ivory Coast to take their eye off the job in hand.
He added: "We will be well prepared and we are going to do everything to play well against the other teams."