LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Chicago Bears head coach Marc Trestman feels "optimistic" about left tackle Jermon Bushrod's (ankle/knee) chances of returning to the starting lineup on Sunday when the Bears host the Miami Dolphins.

Bushrod has been inactive for two straight games after an Oct. 1 practice mishap resulted in the veteran offensive lineman injuring both his right knee and right ankle.

"I am optimistic [about Bushrod]," Trestman said. "He’ll work out today, and he probably has already, and he’ll work out tomorrow. We’re hopeful we can get him back in the mix. We’ll see where he is on Wednesday at practice."

26-year old NFL rookie Michael Ola has filled in at left tackle and done a commendable job protecting quarterback Jay Cutler's blind side the past two weeks, but Ola is to return to the bench when Bushrod is medically cleared.

Bushrod, a two-time Pro Bowl selection, signed a lucrative five-year contract with the Bears in the 2013 offseason, bringing stability and leadership to a left tackle position that had been unsettled since John Tait retired in 2008.