GREEN BAY, Wis. — Josh Sitton talked in the Green Bay Packers locker room Friday as though he knew whether he’ll be playing against the Chicago Bears.
"Pretty much, but I really do have to see how it feels tomorrow," the Packers veteran guard said about his toe injury.
The decision will come Saturday on the availability of Sitton and fellow guard T.J. Lang (ankle) for the game Sunday night. Lang and Sitton are questionable for the prime-time matchup against the rival Bears at Lambeau Field.
The Packers didn’t practice Friday, and coach Mike McCarthy said they’ll evaluated by the medical staff on Saturday.
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who has spent the better part of two weeks recovering from a hamstring injury, is probable after a bye week. Rodgers injured his left hamstring in the lopsided loss against New Orleans. He’s been a full participant in practice this week.
"He feels good," McCarthy said. "He had a couple throws to his left yesterday, so that was really kind of the last thing I think he wanted to feel and see. So he’s ready to go."
Lang and Sitton spent this week in rehab mode with injuries they sustained in Green Bay’s 44-23 loss at New Orleans on Oct. 26. Lang went out after the first series with an ankle sprain, and Sitton kept playing after suffering an injury to a big toe in the second half.
The Packers (5-3) put Lang and Sitton, who didn’t practice the previous two days, through a workout on the field at their indoor facility Friday morning.
"They both completed it," McCarthy said. "The workload that they were asked to do, they exceeded it. So that part went well, but really their evaluation tomorrow is the next step we have to get through."
The team estimated Lang and Sitton would have been limited practice participants Friday.
Lang didn’t appear in the locker room during the access period for media Friday afternoon. A day earlier, he said not to bet against him and Sitton playing Sunday.
"If I have the confidence and the coaches have the confidence in me going out there and getting the job done, then I’d say there’s a pretty good chance," said Lang, who noted he had some ligament and muscle damage in his left ankle.
Sitton spoke Friday about the likelihood he’ll take his spot at left guard Sunday. Counting the playoffs, the durable Pro Bowl lineman has started 47 straight games dating to December 2011.
Asked what his workout Friday, Sitton said, "Just moving around, doing certain movements that I’ll be doing on Sunday. I think the biggest thing is just loading on it, trying to put some weight on it. So we did that a little bit."
When asked whether that means he’s playing, Sitton played coy.
"I don’t know," he said. "I’ve got to see how it feels tomorrow. It’s still a little swollen up."
After meeting with team doctor Pat McKenzie on Friday, Sitton isn’t too worried about putting himself at risk for aggravating what was diagnosed as a torn ligament in the toe by playing right away.
"I think that risk is going to be there the rest of the season no matter what," Sitton said. "It’s not something that’s going to be a huge threat."
Green Bay has been getting the young trio of Lane Taylor, JC Tretter and Garth Gerhart ready in case Lang or Sitton can’t play Sunday.
Taylor replaced Lang in the last game. Tretter, who was activated from the injured reserve/designated for return list this week, and Gerhart have yet to play a regular-season game.
"Really tomorrow (in practice), I’m not really looking for T.J. and Josh to take reps because I want to make sure those (other) three guys are ready to go," McCarthy said.
NOTES: Also probable for Green Bay are three starters on defence who missed the last game: CB Sam Shields (knee), S Morgan Burnett (calf) and DL Datone Jones (ankle). . WR Kevin Dorsey, who suffered a foot injury in practice Thursday, is sidelined indefinitely. "It’s a significant injury," McCarthy said. "He’ll be out multiple weeks."
