Jose Mourinho has conceded that midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger could now stay at Manchester United beyond January, just a few short months after it seemed certain the German's Old Trafford career was over.
Schweinsteiger was frozen out of the United first-team completely when Mourinho arrived in the summer and was sent to train with the youth team but couldn't agree a transfer away from the club.
After slowly but surely winning Mourinho round, Schweinsteiger made his first appearance of the season after coming off the bench for the final few minutes of Wednesday's EFL Cup win over West Ham.
So is the World Cup winner on the brink of an unlikely stay of execution beyond the January transfer window?
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Speaking ahead of the weekend's game against Everton, Mourinho said via the Mirror: "Of course he can, when you have a contract you are the powerful one.
"In the summer we tried to make something happen for him but he was the powerful one and decided to stay.
"In January he will again be the powerful one but he will be happier with being part of the team."
"He was so happy the other day, I like people with determination."
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"He is working to have more chances. When he wasn't training with the team he did it in a professional way,he struggled when he came back but fought."
For what it's worth, the midfielder has 18 moths remaining on his contract at United and could conceivably sit on his weekly wage until 2018.
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Topics: Manchester United