Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta remains injured and will not be able to face Brighton and Hove Albion at the Amex on Sunday (8 February).
Mateta had hoped to join AC Milan in the winter transfer window but the France forward failed his medical.
Now, Palace boss Oliver Glasner said that Mateta would have to “fight for his position” in the side if he is able to play again this season.
Mateta is desperate to maximise his chances of representing France at the World Cup and one possibility is that he could resume playing without surgery.
The collapse of his transfer deal has given Glasner a potential selection headache as Jorgen Strand Larsen joined the Eagles from Wolverhampton Wanderers on Monday (2 February).
The possibility of Mateta returning to training without an operation has been mooted days before another consultation with a doctor on Monday (9 February), followed by a meeting to discuss the player’s next steps.
Glasner said: “He signed a contract here. You have rights and you have duties when you sign a contract.
“(If) he doesn’t undergo surgery and the knee is ok, he will start training with us, he will get integrated and then he has to fight for his position in the team like everybody else.
“But this is what he knows and he’s fine with it, because JP is a great guy, a lovely guy and now everything has to get sorted and also be settled.”
Glasner said that Mateta would not only miss the trip to Brighton but also the home match against Burnley on Wednesday (11 February) with the medical investigations due to continue.
But the Austrian manager did not seem worried about the psychological aftermath of the transfer deal falling through.
He added: “Dealing with disappointment takes a few days. Sometimes it’s better leaving it for one to three days. But I had a good talk with him and so I’m pretty sure everything will be fine.”
Currently, Brighton are 13th in the Premier League table, with 31 points from 24 games. Palace are two places and two points behind the Seagulls, having played the same number of matches.
The match is due to kick off at 2pm on Sunday at the Amex Stadium.
