Queens Park Rangers manager Chris Ramsey has admitted that he must remain cautious over the fitness of Alejandro Faurlin.
The 29-year-old has recently recovered from a third anterior cruciate injury in as many as seasons.
Having featured in the final 20 minutes of his side's 2-0 opening-day defeat to Charlton Athletic, Faurlin is in line to play a part in this weekend's meeting with Cardiff City.
Ramsey intends to use the Argentine sparingly, however, which could mean settling for a place on the bench until he regains full match fitness.
"He's had three major injuries and to comeback from that was unbelievable - and it shows how he's worked to get back where he needs to be," the R's boss is quoted as saying by Get West London.
"But, yeah, we do have to use him sparingly. We have to make sure he doesn't break down and sometimes you have different people in the squad for different things. He's more of a ball player, and we need to use those skills when the occasion demands it."
Faurlin, who has played 21 league games in the last three seasons, penned a one-year contract extension at Loftus Road earlier this summer.
