The England winger underwent surgery after sustaining the injury against Liverpool on Saturday.

He was involved in an accidental collision with Liverpool captain Sami Hyypia and was expected to miss the home game against Terry Venables' underachievers.

But doctors have made a protective mask for Sinclair and Roeder believes that could allow the winger to feature.

"He has had the operation and come through it successfully," he told the club's website.

"They have repaired the small fracture that he had on the cheekbone and we will just see how he comes on in the next few days.

"They have made a protective mask for him that other players in the past few years have played in.

"We will have to see how he is on Friday and Saturday before making a decision about whether he plays on Sunday.

"He was in a lot of pain after the game but at the moment he is very positive about the idea of playing with a mask - and that is just the attitude you want.

"The main thing is to see how he recovers from the operation."

The news is a boost to Roeder, with his attacking options already limited due to injuries to Frederic Kanoute and Paolo di Canio.