Influential centre-back Timm Klose could still feature in Norwich City's crucial Premier League clash with Sunderland at Carrow Road tomorrow, despite not being able to train fully due to injury.
Klose was replaced in the 40th minute of last Saturday's 1-0 loss at Crystal Palace after landing awkwardly when challenging Eagles striker Dwight Gayle.
The Switzerland international limped off before trying to return to the game after treatment but went back down and had to be taken off on a stretcher, with Sebastien Bassong coming on in his place in the centre of City's defence.
Klose was signed from Wolfsburg for £7.6million during the January transfer window and had hit top form in the month leading up to his injury, leading to a nomination for the Premier League PFA Fans' Player of the Month award for March.
Speaking at his pre-match press conference, City boss Alex Neil said: 'Timm will be a last minute call. He's not done a great deal this week, however he's in great nick and he's played a lot of games for us since he's been here.
'It's just a case of wrapping him up in cotton wool and seeing if we can get him out on the pitch on Saturday.'
Neil's team go into the match (12.45pm kick-off) knowing that victory would push them seven points clear of the Black Cats and put them firmly in control of the battle to avoid relegation.
Newcastle host Swansea at 3pm and could cut that gap to six points with victory – although defeat to Sunderland would also leave City just one point clear of danger, with both of their rivals still having a game in hand.
Neil added: 'We'll approach tomorrow trying to win the game and we've got every chance of doing just that.'
Sunderland team news
Striker Duncan Watmore is back in the Sunderland squad for Saturday's Barclays Premier League relegation showdown at Norwich.
The 22-year-old has been missing with an ankle ligament injury since the beginning of February, but has returned to training and is an option for manager Sam Allardyce once again.
The attacker came off the bench to deny the Canaries a clean sheet during their 3-1 win at Sunderland in the second game of the season.
Allardyce otherwise has no fresh selection problems as he looks to end a six-game wait for a victory and rekindle the relegation-threatened Black Cats' survival hopes.
Provisional squad: Mannone, Pickford, Van Aanholt, Yedlin, O'Shea, Jones, Kone, Kaboul, Brown, Kirchhoff, Cattermole, M'Vila, Khazri, Borini, Rodwell, Lens, Toivonen, Larsson, Defoe, N'Doye, Watmore.
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