Neal Ardley says Callum Roberts is making good progress in his recovery from injury but stopped short of confirming he would be available to face Dover this weekend.
The star winger was carried off on a stretcher during the 1-0 FA Trophy semi-final defeat to Harrogate Town last Tuesday following a tackle by Brendan Kiernan.
Roberts required gas and air after the game and the former Newcastle player is now facing an anxious wait to see if he will be fit enough for the season's opener.
Asked to assess Roberts' availability, Ardley could not commit to saying he would be available.
"He's got a chance," he said.
"But I'm not going to drop him in there all of a sudden, and you the (press) tell me that I said there wasn't a chance.
"In saying that I don't want to get anybody's hopes up at the same time."
