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Lions running back Dwayne Washington is expected to return this week after missing two games with an ankle injury.

(Mike Mulholland | MLive.com)

ALLEN PARK -- Eric Ebron, Theo Riddick, Haloti Ngata and DeAndre Levy missed another Detroit Lions practice on Friday, and all four starters are expected to miss Sunday's game against Washington.

Levy has been out since Week 1 with knee and quad issues, while Ebron (knee/ankle) has missed two games, and Riddick (ankle) and Ngata (shoulder) have missed one apiece.

With Ameer Abdullah, Riddick and Dwayne Washington missing time the last few weeks, the Lions' running game has fallen from third to 23rd in yards per carry. But the good news is while Riddick won't play Sunday, Washington should after practicing all week.

The promising rookie flashed enough physicality to run between the tackles during the first four games of the season, and enough athleticism to break the big play. He was averaging 4.2 yards per carry when he suffered the ankle injury against Chicago in Week 4.

With Zach Zenner and Justin Forsett the only other tailbacks healthy, Washington figures to see a lot of action in his return.

"His numbers and measurable I think speak for themselves," coach Jim Caldwell said. "He's a big guy that's fast. He's not a small back. He's 224 pounds, but he's still got a lot to learn."