The New Orleans Saints injury report prior to their game with the Detroit Lions doesn't have a lot of names on it, but it does have several important names listed. The most important, it'd seem, is middle linebacker Jonathan Vilma.
Vilma hasn't played for several weeks, but Sporting News' Mike Triplett believes the difference-maker could return to the field this weekend.
The Saints will likely get middle linebacker Jonathan Vilma back this week after he missed the last three games following clean-up surgery to repair a lingering knee injury. The Saints actually fared very well in his absence, winning all three games, with Jo-Lonn Dunbar stepping up as a reliable replacement.
But if Vilma can finally get back to 100 percent because of the surgery, he could give the Saints a huge boost down the stretch. Vilma was originally injured in Week 2, then tried to play through the pain for more than a month. But it was clear that he wasn't playing up to his full potential, with the knee slowing him down a bit.
The full injury report is embedded below.
| POS. | NAME | INJURY | WEDNESDAY | THURSDAY | FRIDAY | STATUS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DE | Turk McBride | Ankle | DNP | DNP | ||
| LB | Jonathan Vilma | Knee | LP | LP | ||
| CB | Jabari Greer | Knee | LP | FP | ||
| DE | Tom Johnson | Elbow | FP | FP | ||