Roberto Martinez is willing to select Victor Moses in his Wigan side to face Chelsea tomorrow, but is braced for the phone to ring with news that the striker is leaving for the London club.
The 21-year-old forward has courted interest from the Champions League winners this summer, with Wigan chairman Dave Whelan accusing them of "messing about" in their pursuit of him.
He wants them to stump up a fee of £9million but, as that valuation has yet to be met, Moses remains available for Martinez to pick.
He intends to do that tomorrow but, should Chelsea or any other club decide to rustle up the necessary funds, he could be shorn of one of his key performers last season.
As a result, he has called for the transfer window to be changed so that it is only open during the off-season, saying: "I don't like it, I have expressed many times that I don't agree with the transfer window going on while there are official games.
"I have always said that. I do feel there is a need for a transfer window, it is beneficial, but I don't think it helps when it is open when you are playing official games. It happens everywhere, it gives you uncertainty and I don't think that helps the game. The players are footballers but they are human beings."
Chelsea counterpart Roberto Di Matteo was coy when asked about Moses yesterday, but if he remains interested, he is likely to get a front-row view of the former Crystal Palace man tomorrow.
Martinez has no qualms with playing Moses either, despite the Spaniard knowing that a display akin to the ones he produced in the second half of last season could be the arm-twister Chelsea need to meet Whelan's demands.
"Victor is in the squad and available," he said. "For Victor it's been an exciting summer. I spoke with him and told him he should be very proud, as a footballer at 21, to get the interest he has had. It's something to be happy and extremely proud about and is a football compliment.
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"But, if you don't meet a valuation, it becomes paper talk and speculation. He is a young man and he knows what he did from December to the end of the season was a great level of performance."
Moses will be joined in the Wigan team by up to four new faces, with Ivory Coast striker Arouna Kone, Fraser Fyvie (Aberdeen), Rio Miyaichi (Arsenal), Ivan Ramis (Real Mallorca) all joining up.
Martinez is particularly excited by the signing of two older heads in Ramis and former Sevilla frontman Kone, who scored 15 goals for Levante last season.
At 27 and 28 the pair will add some much-needed experience to Martinez's youthful group and he is looking forward to what they will offer.
"We have two strong additions in terms of the age they come in. Ivan Ramis at 27 has been a captain and Mallorca and brings something different to the back line, then Aruna Kone in the best moment of his career," he said.
"He gives us an extra dimension up front, his goalscoring record was outstanding last season, he has been involved in different projects and leagues and every addition is one we look forward to."
