Vincent Kompany could give Manchester City a major boost by returning from injury earlier than expected, with Manuel Pellegrini stating that though his captain is “very sad” to be out he may be available in two weeks’ time.

The manager has previously indicated Kompany may not recover until the “last part of the season” and the 29-year-old’s value to the side is indicated by City conceding just once in his nine Premier League appearances this term.

While the concern over Kompany’s catalogue of calf problems remains – this one is the 13th – Pellegrini is optimistic that, if he returns soon, the Belgian can stay fit for the campaign’s vital closing phase.

“I don’t think Vincent will be out for six weeks – he will return in a couple of weeks. It’s very important how he improves in the next weeks,” the manager said. “Be sure we are doing all we can to review Vincent in different places with different doctors. For him also, he’s very sad not to play, I hope that now when he comes back he will be fit until the end of the season.”

City face Everton in Wednesday evening’s Capital One Cup semi-final second leg at the Etihad Stadium. Pellegrini’s team trail Roberto Martínez’s 2-1 from the first leg.

“Maybe Everton haven’t been in a final for many years and they will be motivated but our team will do all they can to get there too,” he said. “The most important thing is to try to play another final at Wembley. That is our target. After we lost to Everton 2-1 I said that if we don’t qualify for the final, it’s not because of that game but because we can’t win at home at least 1-0.

“It’s the third time we’ll play Everton in one month – we know their team. We just saw their game against Swansea, we know the way they’ll play and the important players they have.”

Willy Caballero will again be the goalkeeper instead of Joe Hart, as the Argentinian has been throughout the competition, and Pellegrini is intent on City also maintaining their challenge in the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup.

“Maybe we will play more games than everyone else but I want to be involved in all competitions,” he said. “From 27 January to 27 February we are going to play nine games, or 10 games if we have a replay, but I prefer that than being eliminated in these competitions.”

Manchester City are still to make a decision on whether to register the striker Kelechi Iheanacho for the knockout stages of the Champions League. The 19-year-old Nigerian missed out on selection for the group stage as City had already filled their quota of 17 overseas players in their 25-man squad.

It had been suggested Iheanacho, who has impressed since being elevated to the first-team squad this season, could replace the injured Samir Nasri on their roster for the remainder of the competition. But with Nasri, who has been sidelined since October after thigh muscle and tendon surgery, now expressing hope of returning to training earlier than expected in March, the situation is being monitored.

Pellegrini said: “I have not decided yet but we are thinking about that. We are going to have the report of the doctor one day before we must send the new list of the Champions League and then we will decide.”

City must submit their squad list to competition organisers Uefa by 2 February. They face Dynamo Kyiv in the last 16 with the first leg in the Ukrainian capital on 24 February..