Gianfranco Zola is set to make a rapid return to the Chelsea side after limping off in the 3-2 defeat to Arsenal.
Manager Claudio Ranieri said he feared the Italian striker had suffered a serious injury when Lauren's tackle left him writhing in agony.
"He did a warm-down today and ran normally," Ranieri said. "He's much better than we thought yesterday."
"Gianfranco never puts it on, never fakes an injury, never stays down, so when he didn't get up I thought the worst."
Ranieri said Zola could face Middlesbrough in Saturday's FA Cup tie and described his top scorer as irreplaceable.
"It is hard to do without him. There is only one Gianfranco Zola. And with him, we can play through the middle and look for one-on-ones."
Ranieri said he did not plan to buy new players during the close season and said no one had so far made any enquiries about his own squad, but he could not rule out changes.
"I believe in my players. I have a lot of confidence in them," he said. "But if a team turns up and offers lots and lots of money for a player and the chairman asks me about it that's another matter," he said.
