Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini is optimistic that club captain Vincent Kompany could be fit in time for his side's crucial champions League match at Roma next week.
Kompany missed Wednesday's 4-1 win at Sunderland with a hamstring strain and is also out of the weekend's game against Everton.
Pellegrini previously voiced serious concerns that Kompany could miss next Wednesday's trip to the Stadio Olimpico, but he now hopes the centre-back could be back for the clash with Roma that City must not lose if they have any hope of sealing an unlikely place in the knockout round.
"Vincent is improving and maybe it is not such a serious injury as we thought at the beginning -- but he needs to see the whole week and we will see what happens with him," the Chilean said.
City will qualify for the knockout phase from Group E with a win in the Italian capital as long as CSKA Moscow do not beat Bayern, and also with a scoring draw at Roma as long as CSKA lose at Bayern.