Here's the latest news on key injuries going into Week 9:

John Clayton's injury updates
Team	Comment
	Here's the lastest on the banged up Arizona Cardinals. Don't expect cornerback Tom Knight (hamstring) or strong safety Justin Lucas (ankle) to play. David Barrett will start at cornerback. Pat Tillman, despite not being 100 percent because of a sore ankle, will return to take back the strong safety job. Fullback Joel Makovicka practiced and should be able to play. He has a knee injury. Raynoch Thompson returns to the starting outside linebacker job. Zack Walz, who started last week, should back him up.
	Falcons quarterback Chris Chandler is still sore and did a little less work Friday than Thursday, but he should be able to gut it out with his sore ribs. Coach Dan Reeves said he would delay a decision on his starting quarterback until Sunday morning. Reeves calls it a 50-50 chance that Chandler will start, but Chandler tells friends that his chances are better than that. Free safety Ronnie Bradford returns to his starting position now that his knee has healed from arthroscopic surgery.
	The Ravens should have quarterback Elvis Grbac (ribs) and halfback Terry Allen (ankle) back and available for Monday's game against the Titans. Grbac, who has missed two starts, handled the majority of the work in Friday's practice. Allen will probably work in the one-back sets. Jason Brookins will work in the two-back sets with fullback Sam Gash. Cornerback James Trapp didn't practice Friday because of a leg injury that has him listed as questionable.
	Jerry Ostroski has been a guard who tried to be a center and moved back to guard. Now, he's going to make his 2001 debut as a right tackle. Ostroski, who has missed seven games with a broken leg, was pronounced to be the starting right tackle. Jonas Jennings will move from right tackle to left tackle after missing two games with a sprained foot. Left tackle John Fina is expected to miss with a right knee injury. Defensive end Phil Hansen won't know until game time whether or not he can play with a calf injury. Free safety Keion Carpenter may not be able to start because of a cracked rib, so rookie Travares Tillman, a second-round choice, may get his first start. Halfback Travis Henry was sentenced to 120 hours of community service after pleading guilty to having sexual contact with a 15-year-old girl. He could be subject to NFL discipline.
	Panthers coach George Seifert said he won't announce his starting quarterback until Sunday morning, but expect it to be Matt Lytle. Chris Weinke could only throw on the side with a ballboy Friday, missing his third day of practice with a sprained right AC joint. Lytle took most of the snaps this week along with Jim Harbaugh, who signed Tuesday. Lytle threw his first NFL regular season pass last Sunday. Also, don't expect first-round choice Dan Morgan to play at outside linebacker because of his ankle injury. Darren Hambrick and Nate Hemsley get the starts at outside linebacker. Cornerback Rashard Anderson is the only original Panthers first-round choice starting. The Panthers visit the St. Louis Rams.
	The Bears' good luck continues. Left tackle Blake Brockermeyer (knee) and guard Chris Villarrial (hip) returned to practice Friday and appears to be ready to play in Sunday's NFC Central showdown against the Packers. Each has been listed as questionable. Quarterback Jim Miller is back as the starter, taking over for Shane Matthews after missing two starts with a hip injury. Halfback Anthony Thomas practiced despite a toe injury and will start.
	Bengals coach Dick LeBeau said he doesn't think he will make a change at kicker as of Friday, so Neil Rackers, who is seven for 14 for the season, should keep his job. The Bengals signed Jaret Holmes to the practice squad but he didn't do enough to shake LeBeau's confidence in the struggling kicker. Backup cornerback Tom Carter reaggrevated an ankle injury and was downgraded from probable to questionable. Defensive tackle Tony Williams, who has missed three games with a foot injury, will return and start, LeBeau said.
	Browns coach Butch Davis won't be missing three defensive starts for Sunday's game against the Steelers, but he may be down two. Defensive end Keith McKenzie went on the injured reserve list with a broken foot. Middle linebacker Wali Rainer was officially declared out because of a sprained ankle, so the Browns will start Brant Boyer in his place. The good news is that cornerback Corey Fuller, who had been listed as questionable, was upgraded to probable because he's been able to practice on his sore ankle the past two days. The Browns activated linebacker Lenoy Jones from the physically unable to perform list Friday, particularly knowing that Rainer is not able to go. McKenzie became the 11th Brown to be ruled out for the season.
	It was first thought that Emmitt Smith's knee injury might be a 2-4 week problem, similar to the one that sidelined wide receiver Rocket Ismail for two games. Well, the prognosis looks accurate because Smith is expected to miss his second game, Sunday's visit to Atlanta. Coach Dave Campo hinted that he didn't expect Smith, who is listed as questionable, to be ready, so Troy Hambrick starts. Hambrick practiced Friday despite a shoulder injury that lists him as questionable. Had Hambrick not been able to go, they would have used Michael Wiley and Tony Taylor. Cornerback Izell Reese is a go with his hamstring injury. So is wide receiver Joey Galloway, who has been playing and practicing despite a sprained foot. Aaron Gibson will be inactive even though he's gearing up for competing for the starting at right guard.
	The Broncos will be without wide receiver/returner Kevin Kasper for a fifth consecutive game because of an ankle injury. Quarterback Brian Griese has banged-up ribs from the Monday loss to the Raiders.
	Lions coach Marty Mornhinweg was told by trainers that the ankle injury to halfback James Stewart would take anywhere between two to 10 weeks to heal. All the coach knows for sure is that Stewart won't be able to play Sunday against the Bucs and will miss his third consecutive game. Reuben Droughns will start and Lamont Warren will be the backup. Guard Stockar McDougle will also be sidelined again with his foot injury. Tony Semple will start for him at left guard. Defensive tackle Luther Elliss will play despite a bad left elbow that may cause him to play virtually with arm. The Lions host the Bucs.
	Left tackle Chad Clifton did limited work for the Packers Friday, so he may be available for backup duty. He has a bad ankle sprain. Barry Stokes, who did a great job filling in for Clifton for three quarters last week, will probably get the start. Coach Mike Sherman will give Clifton one more look Saturday before making a final determination. The other interesting decision involves wide receiver Bill Schroeder, who has returned to practice but isn't running at 100 percent speed because of the ankle injury that has sidelined him the past couple of week. Schreoder might play, but don't be surprised if Corey Bradford starts. Backup receiver Donald Driver is out with a quad pull. The Packers visit the Bears.
	Edgerrin James was downgraded from questionable to doubtful Friday after missing another day of practice because of strained knee ligaments. Because the knee hasn't made much progress, James isn't expected to play. Dominic Rhodes will get his second start. He had 100 yards rushing against the Bills last Sunday. Middle linebacker Rob Morris (knee), wide receiver Jerome Pathon (foot) and defensive end Chad Bratzke (ankle) should all be set to play against the Dolphins Sunday. James is the only Colt expected to miss the game.
	Quarterback Mark Brunell practiced Friday and should be able to play, as Jaguars coach Tom Coughlin has been saying all week. Brunell missed Wednesday's and Thursday's practice with a quad injury. Fred Taylor will miss his sixth consecutive game because of his groin injury. The Jaguars are 0-5 in games in which Taylor has been out. Taylor has been doing some work in practice, so he may be able to return next week. Safety Ainsley Battles is out with a knee injury. Linebackers Ed Thomas (hamstring), Joe Tuipala (quad) and T.J. Slaughter (knee-ankle) practiced and should be able to play against the Bengals Sunday.
	The Chiefs expect to have Derrick Alexander on the active roster Sunday against the Jets, but they will start Larry Parker and Snoop Minnis. Alexander has a rib injury, and, knowing that the Chiefs have a bye week upcoming, coach Dick Vermeil doesn't want to push things by putting him in as a starter. Outside linebacker Lewis Bush is expected to miss his second game with an abdominal strain. Glenn Cadrez starts for him. Defensive end Duane Clemons will play despite a knee injury that had him listed as questionable. Cornerback Ray Crockett returns to the starting lineup along with Eric Warfield, now that his broken hand is better.
	Dolphins coach Dave Wannstedt said that wide receiver Dedric Ward will play on his despite his chronic foot sprain. Defensive tackle Jermaine Haley and strong safety Brian Walker are expected to miss a couple of weeks after having surgery Monday to repair broken right thumbs.
	The Vikings won't have guard Corbin Lacina, who hasn't practiced all week because of a calf injury. Everett Lindsay will get the start against the Eagles. Don't expect defensive tackle Willie Howard to play because of a knee injury. Michael Bennett is back after missing two games with an ankle injury but Doug Chapman is expected to start. Coach Dennis Green may use Dale Carter, signed Wednesday, as a nickel cornerback and on special teams. Fred Robbins will start at nose tackle. He takes the job back from Winfield Garnett.
	All those holding their breath that Terry Glenn would return to the Patriots lineup better grab an oxygen mask. It's not happening. Glenn missed Friday's practice and was downgraded from questionable to doubtful because of his hamstring problems. Glenn showed more zest in his rehab this week, which led coach Bill Belichick to upgrade him from questionable to doubtful, but that turned out to be false hope. Glenn hasn't practiced with the team, so getting on the field is unlikely against the Bills Sunday. The Patriots have 18 players on the injury list and upgraded free safety Antwan Harris (ankle), defensive end Willie McGinest (leg), tight end Rod Rutledge (ankle) and nose tackle Richard Seymour (leg) from questionable to probable. Defensive tackle Anthony Pleasant (flu) remains questionable because of the flu, but he should play Sunday. With tackles Matt Light (shoulder) and Greg Robinson-Randall (ankle) doubtful and not able to practice Friday, the Patriots will probably go with Grant Williams and Kenyatta Jones at the starting positions.
	Saints tight end Cam Cleeland was only able to exercise on a stationary bike so he is expected to miss Sunday's game against the 49ers. Free safety Richard Newsome (ankle) and left tackle Willie Roaf (knee) have been upgraded from questionable to probable and will be able to play. Steve Israel was added to the injury report as questionable because of a calf injury and shouldn't be available. Quarterback Aaron Brooks is playing despite a toe injury that is nagging him but won't prevent him starting.
	The Giants will go with Owen Pochman as the punter because of the broken wrist of Rodney Williams. They also will have Keith Hamilton back at defensive tackle now that his partially dislocated shoulder is better. Backup Lance Legree will miss the game because of rib problems.
	The Jets will be without guard Randy Thomas (ankle) for a second consecutive game and will be replaced by J.P. Machado for the second consecutive game. The debut of first-round choice Santana Moss will be delayed until next Sunday against the Dolphins because he needs another week to recover from his knee injury. The Jets host the Kansas City Chiefs.
	Raiders coach Jon Gruden had to cut his practices short all week because of injuries. He will have many game time decisions for the Sunday night game against the Seahawks. Cornerback Charles Woodson, who has had to use a boot for protection of turf toe, didn't practice against Friday. If he plays, he will probably only be used in the nickel pass defense. Linebacker William Thomas will also be a game time decision after suffering a hamstring injury Thursday. Eric Barton may have to start for him. Travian Smith is expected to start for Elijah Alexander, who has a knee injury that will keep in out the Seahawks game. Halfback Tyrone Wheatley didn't practice Friday, so he may need another week on his knee injury. Free safety Anthony Dorsett practiced and should be able to play despite a knee injury. The Raiders have four injured offensive linemen who will play.
	Eagles coach Andy Reid has only two game-day decisions because of injuries, and both involve backups. Wide receiver Dameane Douglas ran around in early practice Friday, and Reid said he's wait until Sunday to decide to keep him active. Safety Terrence Carroll is experiencing problems getting his knee to work properly because of inflammation. He may be out. The rest of the injury list appears to be fine. Halfback Correll Buckhalter (shoulder) and linebacker Mike Caldwell (calf) practiced and should be able to play against the Vikings Sunday.
	Steelers left tackle Wayne Gandy has returned for the past two days of practice so the hamstring injury that sidelined him last week against the Ravens. Halfback Amos Zereoue, who was iffy Thursday with a shoulder injury, practiced Friday and should be available on third downs. Cornerback Jason Simmons remains questionable because of a hamstring injury.
	The Rams are healthy coming off the bye week. Halfback Marshall Faulk returns after missing two games and three weeks with a knee injury. Defensive end Leonard Little's concussion problem won't prevent him from playing in the Panthers game.
	Chargers coach Mike Riley pronounced eight of his nine injured players fit to play Sunday against the Broncos. Tight end Freddie Jones, who was questionable with an ankle injury, practiced Friday. So did halfback Terrell Fletcher (ribs), halfback LaDainian Tomlinson (ankle), safety Rodney Harrison (ankle), tackle Vaughn Parker (groin), middle linebacker Carlos Polk (shoulder-ribs) and middle linebacker Orlando Ruff (neck). The only Charger not able to play against the Broncos Sunday is wide receiver Tim Dwight, who has a collapsed lung.
	The 49ers are getting a little healthier. Quarterback Jeff Garcia's knee keeps improving, which may allow him to roam more from the pocket against the Saints Sunday. Backup center Ben Lynch and defensive tackle Reggie McGrew practiced on the ankle injuries that have sidelined them and may be available for backup duty.
	Seahawks defensive tackle John Randle missed his third consecutive practice because of a knee injury. He won't know until gametime whether or not he can play. Free safety Marcus Robertson looks as though he will miss his third consecutive game with a hamstring. Maurice Kelly would start for Robertson. Antonio Cochran would have to handle Randle's job.
	The Bucs won't have wide receiver Jacquez Green for the third consecutive game because of a groin injury. Reidel Anthony starts on the other side of Keyshawn Johnson. Defensive tackle Booger McFarland will be out for the second consecutive week because of his knee injury. Cornerback Donnie Abraham expects to play despite a sore back, but Brian Kelly is expected to start. Warrick Dunn is expected to get the start at halfback in the Silverdome against the Lions.
	The Titans remain banged up heading into the Monday night game against the Ravens. Safety Blaine Bishop could only do limited work because of a bad foot sprain and a broken hand. He remains questionable. Tight ends Erron Kinney (calf) and Shad Meier (hand) couldn't practice and may not be available. Linebacker Keith Bulluck returned to the field and may be able to play after missing a game becuase of an ankle injury. Middle linebacker Randall Godfrey will test out his knee Saturday but he remains questionable.

John Clayton is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com.