VIDEO: Kieran Lee winning race to be fit for Sheffield Wednesday's Preston North End trip + injury list latest

The midfielder missed the Boxing Day win over Newcastle United having come off injured, a week previous against Rotherham at Hillsborough.

The Owls head coach says Lee is recovering well and will be given time to prove his fitness.

"He is training, we are trying to protect him," said Carvalhal. "We try to manage him the best way and bring him in the better conditions. We will decide if he will be involved or not but we believe that he can be available for the game on Saturday. He is training with us, he feels better. He is a player we will take a decision in the last minute."

There are 'two or three' other players suffering from minor knocks.

Barry Bannan has also been nursing a foot injury and started the match against Newcastle but came off in the second half, which Carvalhal stated was due to the fact that he had trained fully in the run up to the trip to St James' park.

"He didn't train for a few days before so he was at the limit and we changed him," added Carvalhal. "The little problem that he had he is much better. We are still analysing two or three players with little things. We must be careful with the players but we believe all of them will be available for Saturday, Barry Bannan included."

Gary Hooper has stepped up his recovery from a hamstring injury picked up against Fulham in November, but the Wednesday head coach wouldn't put a date on his return to first team availability.

He said: "I must be carefeul because one time I said that Marco (Mathias) is near and someone said that I lied. I never lie, I don't accept this from no one. I don't want to say he is training and near back to the competition. You never know, sometimes he is near and then he is back again. I can't control these things. What I can say is that he is progressing, he is better. He's outside (training) but I will not take a risk to say that he is back in one or two weeks.

"When they are outside the building, training, it means they are not far away from being back in the team. I think this is clear understanding of the situation but I can't say it will be one or two weeks."

Full back Urby Emanuelson is yet to feature for Wedneday since his switch and Carvalhal also reveled that he too is suffering from injury.

"He is injured. I don't know the name of the injury - he has special shoes, to walk."