Ask Patrick Roy Sunday.

Until then, there’s some hockey to play.

The Avalanche coach continued to take that stand after Thursday’s morning skate about possible injury updates for Nathan MacKinnon and Matt Duchene, and also about rookie Mikko Rantanen’s status as he approaches the 10-game threshold that would burn a year on his three-year entry-level contract.

The Avalanche will go into Thursday night’s home game against the Flyers trailing Minnesota by a point in the chase for the second Western Conference wild-card spot, and the Wild also is at home, against Calgary. And then the Wild comes to Denver to face the Avalanche Saturday afternoon.

Roy previously had said neither Duchene nor MacKinnon, who suffered knee injuries on the Avalanche’s 3-0 trip to western Canada, would play against the Flyers and Wild and that both were “week to week.” He said he had nothing to add to that Thursday.

“Right now I want to focus on playing the Flyers,” Roy said. “It’s a good challenge for us. It’s a big game for both teams.”

The Flyers also are fighting for a playoff spot enter the night tied with the Red Wings for the second Eastern Conference wild card.

Roy said of playing without Duchene and MacKinnon, the Avalanche’s top two scorers: “You know what, adversity is part of the game. Every team goes through that at some point in the season and it certainly gives an opportunity to some of our players to make up for it.”

Rantanen, recalled from San Antonio last week, will be playing his eighth and ninth games with the Avalanche this season on Thursday and Saturday. How does the decision on whether to keep playing him or send him back down to San Antonio tie into MacKinnon and Duchene’s prognosis on Sunday?

“Ask me the question on Sunday, I’ll be very happy to answer the question,” Roy said. “As of right now, the focus is on tonight. He’s been working very hard on his game and let’s see where he is after those two games.”

Roy said defenseman Zach Redmond, again a healthy scratch the past three games, would play against the Flyers with Andrew Bodnarchuk sitting out.

Terry Frei: tfrei@denverpost.com or @TFrei