Jeffrey Schlupp was left out of Ghana's squad for the Africa Cup of Nations, giving Crystal Palace a significant boost.
Palace was prepared to lose a number of players to the competition, including star man Wilfried Zaha (Ivory Coast), striker Jordan Ayew (Ghana), and midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate (Ivory Coast) (Senegal).
All three of those players have been picked to their respective national teams' squads this week.
Given his 20 caps, there was a likelihood that versatile operator Schlupp would also be jetting abroad.
He was, however, left out of the Black Stars' provisional 30-man squad and will therefore be available for the hectic end of 2021 into early 2022.
Schlupp has appeared in 12 of Palace's 17 Premier League games this season.
He just has one goal to show for his efforts, but his versatility makes him a valuable asset for Vieira, especially when regular starters are unavailable.