Carlos Carvalhal has backed Renato Sanches to play an important part in Swansea City's fight for survival once he finally returns from his injury layoff.
The Portugal international has not featured in a Premier League game for the Swans for the past three months due to a problem with his hamstring, forcing him to return to parent club Bayern Munich for treatment.
Bayern have continued to monitor the winger and were due to release him back to Swansea for Saturday's meeting with Everton, but he will now instead have to wait at least a further week for his return.
Carvalhal intends to throw Sanches back into the mix if he can prove his fitness, potentially starting with the trip to Manchester City on April 22.
"He had to do a final scan before he travelled [back from Germany] on Monday," he told reporters at his weekly press conference. "They said he was better but needed one more week, so they said they need one more week and he will have another scan, and if it is okay he will travel.
"It is not in our hands, it is in the doctor's hands at Bayern Munich. We know the information we are being given, we need to wait. He will be ready to train when he comes back. I cannot do anything [about the situation], I have to wait. He is injured, what can we do? He cannot come and train like this.
"I never miss a player, we are missing three or four important players but I never say 'oh, poor Swansea, we miss these players'. We have solutions, we will be strong and have a good atmosphere and try and be strong and win three points. I believe he can be involved [for us between now and the end of the season]. When he starts training we will see his condition.
"If he trains he can be involved and we expect that. Of course he wants to come back, he wants to play and be training and be happy. He is ready to come to Swansea. He said he was sad earlier this week when he could not come back to Swansea. Any player not involved is disappointed of course, it is the same for [Leroy] Fer and [Wilfried] Bony. That is the same for all the players in the world."
Sanches has failed to score or assist a goal in his first 12 league games for the club, the last of which came against Tottenham Hotspur on January 2.
Daniel Lewis
