Paco de Miguel insists Newcastle will manage without Rafael Benitez if he does not make it to the dugout for Sunday's Premier League trip to Swansea.
The 57-year-old Spaniard has three times had to abandon his efforts to get to the club's training ground this week after undergoing surgery to address an infection resulting from a hernia operation he had two years ago.
He remains at his home in the north west and is by no means certain to travel to south Wales, with the club even having a helicopter on standby to get him to the Liberty Stadium if he is well enough.