Bears defensive tackle Stephen Paea expects to play against the Saints on Sunday despite an injured toe that kept him out of practice all week.

“I’m feeling good,” Paea said Friday after watching practice. “Just a precaution today. Getting ready for more treatments today and tomorrow, and it’ll be ready for Sunday.”

Paea’s inclusion in the defensive line rotation is critical to a unit that already is without Pro Bowl tackle Henry Melton for the rest of the season because of a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.

Through the first three games of the season, Paea was among the Bears’ best-graded linemen. He’s extremely strong, particularly in the upper body, and he has a low center of gravity that’s difficult for opposing linemen to move. Paea moved from his normal position over the center to replace Melton as the three-technique against the Lions last Sunday.

He played only 58 percent of the Bears’ snaps after injuring his toe in the second quarter. He played more than 70 percent in each of the first three games.

“I just had to push through it,” Paea said. “I felt like they need me, and I need myself to pick it up.”

Paea is listed as questionable on the injury report. If he can’t play his normal allotment of snaps, defensive tackle Landon Cohen and defensive lineman Corey Wootton would help replace him, depending on the situation. Wootton is more likely to play inside on passing downs.

Regardless of personnel, coach Marc Trestman is confident of the defensive line’s plan for the Saints.

“We’ve done some things structurally to force and integrate some problems on the New Orleans side of the football, and we’ll see what happens,” he said.