Wigan Athletic boss Roberto Martinez expects Antolin Alcaraz to be available for this weekend's meeting with Chelsea.
The Paraguayan centre-half was forced off the pitch during the 2-1 win over West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns on Saturday with suspected broken ribs which were set to sideline him until the New Year but Martinez has received good news on the problem.
"Having said that, the early scans we've had back are very positive, which is great news for everyone.
"It's probably a bit early to be going one way or the other with regards to the weekend, but the 48-hour scan is usually indicative of the type of injury you're dealing with. We'll know more in the next 24 hours or so, but Antolin himself feels very strong, very well and wants to play.
"We're just seeing how he settles back in to work and reacts to exercising, but he'll be scanned again once the swelling has gone down to check there's no structural damage.
"We really weren't too positive after the game on Saturday but, if I were a betting man, I would be inclined to suggest there's a 51 per cent chance he'll be fine rather than not.""With the nature of the injury, it's been very difficult to get a definitive assessment," Martinez told the Wigan Evening Post.
