Sources have said that the San Antonio Spurs expect guard Tony Parker to play in Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Miami Heat on Thursday.

Two sources told Yahoo! Sports that Parker "should be ready" to play and will continue to rehabilitate his sprained ankle over the next few days.

ESPN reported that another source said that while there are no guarantees, the team is hopeful that the off days will be enough time for him to heal.

The point guard first suffered the ankle sprain in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The injury continued to bother him in Game 5 and 6 before he was kept out of the second half of the series-clincher on Saturday.

Head coach Gregg Popovich will speak to the media on Tuesday and may have an official word then on Parker’s status.

The 32-year-old is a valuable part of the Spurs rotation and won three championships with the team in 2003, 2005 and 2007, when he was the Finals MVP.

In the playoffs the Frenchman averages 17.8 points and five assists per game.