Douvan's chances of running in the Betway Queen Mother Champion Chase are now "better than 50-50" - but Willie Mullins expressed concern the eight-year-old has not had a Cheltenham Festival prep run.
The dual Festival winner was ruled out for the season in November but it transpired the setback was not as bad as first feared.
He was entered for the Red Mills Chase at Gowan on February 17, but Mullins thought better of it.
That means Douvan will be having his first run since he was well beaten in last year's Queen Mother Champion Chase, in which he suffered a different injury.
Sky Bet make Douvan 4/1 (NRNB) to make amends for last season's disappointment in the race.
Mullins said: "Douvan is doing everything right. He has a good few bits of work to do this week and he has to go for the Champion Chase, all being well. So far all is well.
"If the Gowran race was anywhere else I wouldn't have entered, but it was beside us and if it cut up to three runners I might have been tempted. But when I saw the heavy ground I wasn't keen.
"If he'd had a hard race or anything went wrong then he wouldn't be ready and I felt I could train him better at home.
"His work is certainly good enough at the moment. I don't know if he'll have a racecourse gallop. He's been away a couple of times already but it's day to day at the moment.
"It's better than 50-50 but he's got some hard work to do. It's a concern he hasn't had a run but that's what we've got to do so we'll have to live with it."
Douvan must take on a fearsome rival in Altior, who is unbeaten over fences and made a classy return to action at Newbury earlier this month.
Mullins said: "The clash with Altior should be exciting but I just hope I can get him back into the form he was in in November. Altior looked fantastic at Newbury and it should be a clash to savour if we get there.
"We did say we wouldn't do it (hard work) at home after he did an unbelievable piece the day before his problem emerged, but we're going to have to, I suspect."
One horse with no concerns is last year's Ryanair winner Un De Sceaux, who is bang on target to bid for a repeat.
"Un De Sceaux has done tremendously well and is in great condition, we've plenty to work on still for Cheltenham," said Mullins.
"He's always very strong in his work on a morning and we're very happy. Anything can change but the Ryanair is the plan at the moment.
"That's his target, as far we're concerned - unless something stupid happens to the other horses or it comes up really, really soft."
Yorkhill has been the big enigma for Mullins this year. With two Festival wins under his belt some marked him out as a potential Gold Cup horse, but he has looked a shadow of his former self in two runs over fences this season.
It now appears as if the Champion Hurdle is his destination.
Mullins said: "He's not a great work horse. He's very lazy, which you wouldn't believe when you see him on a race track. I always thought he'd be a Champion Hurdle horse but he'd be a nice one to have along with Un De Sceaux for the Ryanair. I'm not going to make that decision until I have to.
"He ran in the Champion Chase at Leopardstown and you could see he wasn't comfortable jumping at two-mile pace yet at Christmas it looked like he wanted to be back at two.
"That's why I think he'll be best off back over hurdles but it just so happens his next race is likely to be the Champion Hurdle.
"We know he loves hurdles and in the Champion Hurdle there will be plenty of pace to bring his stamina into play. I think he'll be an easier ride in a Champion Hurdle than the Ryanair.
"We're still trying to analyse his run at Christmas. Could he have just needed it? Maybe it was an overreaction going back in trip.
"I was very happy with his work last week so if he works as well as that again I'd say he's 60-40 for the Champion Hurdle, but we'll leave the decision until much later."
Djakadam has twice finished second in the Timico Gold Cup and is once again likely to try his luck in the Rich Ricci silks.
"There's a lot of feeling that he should go back to the Ryanair, and that might happen, but I feel he should go for the Gold Cup," said Mullins, who has yet to win the race.
"He doesn't look the same horse on the track this season. He certainly hasn't fired like he has in other seasons."
Mullins is likely to be well represented in the big one on March 16.
He added: "Killultagh Vic is straightforward and he goes for the Gold Cup. We were very happy with his last run (a last-fence faller in the Irish Gold Cup).
"He looked in a good position and I wouldn't have been betting against him going to the last - he had the momentum going to the last. I thought he had a very good chance and I've no worries about his stamina.
"Total Recall obviously had the Grand National as his main aim but I think he's going to go for the Gold Cup. He's a relaxed horse and he jumps economically so I think that will suit him in a Gold Cup.
"Bachasson's connections are keen for him to run, too. He's a brilliant jumper but the Gold Cup might be a tough race for him.
"I've been second six times but some good trainers won't have six runners in it in their careers so I think I've been lucky. We've a nice hand this year. It looks an open race and if you have a horse of that calibre you have a go."
Another star Mullins is struggling to get back to his best is Faugheen, who was pulled up over Christmas but at least ran respectably when second to Supasundae in the Irish Champion Hurdle.
"It was great that he came out and won the Morgiana and you think everything is great," said Mullins, who could also saddle Melon and Wicklow Brave in the Champion Hurdle.
"He ran a grand race the last day, a lot better than Christmas, but he'll have to up his game to go and win in Cheltenham. He mightn't need to be as good as he once was and I still think he's competitive. We haven't gone downhill, anyway - we're going up.
"Faugheen might never come back to what he was. I'm delighted he was what he was. He might come back to that, but age is not on his side."
Footpad has run well without winning at the last two Festivals but heads there this year as possibly the Mullins banker in the Arkle.
"He always had ability but his jumping has catapulted him right to the top over fences," said the Irish champion trainer.
"I see him as a potential Gold Cup horse as he stays. It's never stopped horses going that route, running in the Arkle. We don't have any problems with him staying.
"He's just a natural jumper, gets to the other side quickly and has no fear."