Justin Rogers

The Detroit News

Allen Park — The Detroit Lions have ruled out four starters against the Los Angeles Rams.

Running back Theo Riddick (ankle), defensive tackle Haloti Ngata (shoulder), linebacker DeAndre Levy (quad/knee) and tight end Eric Ebron (knee/ankle) will sit with injuries.

Additionally, the team has ruled seven players questionable, including both starting guards, defensive end Ezekiel Ansah, wide receiver Anquan Bolidn and running back Dwayne Washington.

Ansah is expected to play after missing the past three games. He's tentatively been named a captain for the contest. Boldin and Carey are also expected to be active after fully participating in Friday's practice.

The guard situation is more dire. Larry Warford missed his second consecutive practice with a hip issue, while Laken Tomlinson was limited by a neck injury all week. Graham Glasgow will likely get the call if one can't play. Fellow rookie Joe Dahl, who has been inactive all season, would be next in line if both starters are ruled out.

Washington returned to practice for the first time in three weeks, providing the a much-needed boost to Detroit’s depleted backfield. With Riddick out, the team could lean heavily on recently signed Justin Forsett.

"You can sense when a guy knows, he knows how to learn, how to examine things, how to relate one system to another and be functional in a hurry," coach Jim Caldwell said. "So, we’ll see what happens."

The Rams are also dealing with significant injuries, primarily on the defensive side of the ball, but only cornerback Trumaine Johnson has been ruled out. The three defensive linemen who missed last week -- Robert Quinn, Michael Brockers and William Hayes -- are questionable.

jdrogers@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @justin_rogers

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