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Making bold predictions about the availability of Stevan Jovetic hasn't worked out too well so far this season so make sure you whisper it – but he could be back in the Manchester City squad against West Ham on Tuesday night.

But we've been here before. After picking up a calf injury at Newcastle in October, the 24-year-old looked like he had timed his comeback perfectly to coincide with Sergio Aguero's own lay-off.

The stage was set for the Montenegrin forward, signed from Fiorentina for £22m in the summer, to start at Leicester in the Capital One Cup and make a case to be Aguero's replacement.

But somewhere between the 6-3 win over Arsenal – when Aguero suffered his own calf injury and Manuel Pellegrini claimed Jovetic was fit to take over – and the trip to Leicester, Jovetic picked up a stomach complaint.

He didn't play at the King Power Stadium in December and hasn't been seen since. Instead it was Edin Dzeko who impressed against Leicester, scoring twice, keeping his place alongside Alvaro Negredo while Aguero returned to fitness.

Since then, Jovetic's illness has morphed into a hamstring injury, a similar problem to the one that prevented him making his City debut until September.

But Pellegrini said at his press conference on Friday that Jovetic is 'close' to a comeback. Jovetic, meanwhile, went one better and announced through his Instagram account he would be 'back on Tuesday'.

Pellegrini was slightly more cautious after the win over Cardiff on Saturday – perhaps remembering what has gone before – insisting the striker would 'maybe' be ready to play some part against West Ham.

“We will see how he works,” said Pellegrini.

“On Monday we will decide. I will think about that. We have to play there. The semi-final is not finished. Of course we have made an important step but we must see which players will play and the way we will do it.”

It would appear to be the perfect time to reintroduce Jovetic into the first team.

Leading 6-0 in the two-legged semi-final, City should only have to turn up at Upton Park to secure a place in the Capital One Cup final.

Then it's Watford at the Etihad Stadium in the FA Cup fourth round on Saturday. They are two games where Pellegrini might think there's an opportunity to rest key players ahead of a run of five games which includes Tottenham away, Chelsea at home and Barcelona at home.

City have have been spoilt by the success of their four summer signings. Negredo has scored 21 goals in 32 games while Fernandinho has kept getting better and better next to Yaya Toure in the centre of midfield. Jesus Navas has had competition from David Silva and Samir Nasri but has added blistering pace to City's slick, attacking machine.

But Jovetic is perhaps the one City fans were most looking forward to seeing.

Even in just five appearances he's shown flashes of what he can do with two goals against Wigan in the Capital One Cup in September.

But after forging a reputation as an intelligent goalscorer in Serie A, they want to see for themselves what all the fuss is about.

Provided he's wrapped up in cotton wool between now and Tuesday, they should just get a chance at Upton Park.