The NFC East title is on the line this weekend when the New York Giants meet the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium, and the Giants might have an unexpected contributor.
Defensive end Osi Umenyiora, who has missed the last four games since suffering an ankle injury on Nov. 28, will be a surprise return to practice on Wednesday as the Giants prepare to face the Cowboys.
Coach Tom Coughlin said Umenyiora has undergone a series of tests and that team doctors have finally cleared him for return.
Umenyiora's return to the practice field does not necessarily mean he will play on Sunday night against the Cowboys. A report on Monday cited a source who claimed that Umenyiora was still "weeks" away from healing properly, and his availability will depend on how his body responds to work this week.
As is sometimes the case, good news comes with bad. Wide receiver Hakeem Nicks was a surprise addition to the injury report with a hamstring injury he suffered Saturday against the Jets. Coughlin expressed optimism that Nicks and Mario Manningham -- both expected to miss practice on Wednesday -- should be available against the Cowboys.
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