The Chargers play the Cardinals on Saturday, not the Lions.

Who takes the field will be considered accordingly.

San Diego held its final training-camp practice Thursday, and as expected after three weeks, some players were limited due to various ailments. The team plans to take the conservative route with them in Arizona, choosing the long-term play.

It's a second exhibition game after all.

Not Sept. 13.

That likely means cornerback Jason Verrett, limited the past three practices with a minor hamstring injury, won't be hurried back into the fold. Same goes for second-round linebacker Denzel Perryman and cornerback Stevie Williams; they missed practice Thursday. Reserve center Trevor Robinson has been a spectator much of the past week. Cornerback Greg Ducre was sidelined most of camp with rookie safety Gordon Hill also missing recent time.

The list goes on.

View the photo gallery: Chargers practice 8/20/2015

Rookie running back Melvin Gordon, a day after resting a minor ankle injury, practiced Thursday. Between individual and team drills, the first-round pick seems as though he physically could play this weekend, no problem. He, Verrett and others would be locks if Saturday was a regular-season game.

But the Chargers coaching staff knows it's not.

Gordon is not expected to play, a source said Friday.

"We're going to look at what's the best interest of some players," coach Mike McCoy said. "We'll hold some guys out that normally would play. But that's my job and the staff's job. … We're looking to get all 53 healthy for the opener. That's the big picture."

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On the road

Jay-Z was rapping up Thursday while Kellen Clemens was just getting started.

The reserve Chargers quarterback barked at the line of scrimmage Thursday during a two-minute drill. He made calls to his tight end as a Jay-Z song blared from the practice-field speakers, drowning Clemens' voice with the chorus from a song in his 2002 album "Blueprint 2: The Gift and the Curse."

A tune-up for Saturday.

Since last year, the Chargers have incorporated music heavily into practices. The effect is twofold. It not only is designed to increase the energy and tempo of drills but also simulate crowd noise the team can expect to encounter on the road.

The team will face the Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium .

It's the first road game of the year.

"As long as we play the way we have in the past on the road, we'll be fine," McCoy said. "It hasn't been an issue for us, whether it be a preseason game or regular-season game, playoff game, it doesn't matter. It's as loud as it can be here with the music, crowd noise, whatever we want to play. You've got to focus. You've got to tune in. If you don't jump in practice, why are you going to jump in the game?

"We've done a good job of that, so I don't foresee any problems down the road."

The Chargers used to feature a scratchy, headache-inducing, airplane-engine type of sound in practices.

While song choice can be a point of contention, music is considered a more popular choice among players.

Nuts 'n' Bolts

• Cornerback Chris Davis suffered a concussion Aug. 13 against the Cowboys. He has yet to practice since, yet to clear the concussion protocol. He is out Saturday.