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Zimmermann is on the active roster. Brassea and Garcia are listed on the practice roster. Olvera was released on Saturday.

“We felt that (Zimmermann, Brassea and Garcia) were the most likely three that can play,” said Riders head coach Craig Dickenson.

“We had to let Sebastien go because he was hurt quite a bit in camp. He’s also a little smaller dude and we worried about his ability to hold up. The three guys we kept all had good days in camp and had some moments in the pre-season.

“We felt they are guys who can contribute. We’ll see it how goes.”

The Riders open the regular season on Thursday in Hamilton against the Tiger-Cats and, per CFL rules, one of the global players has to be on the game-day roster. The global player is designated as an international.

It will be up to the Riders to decide if Zimmermann or Garcia is the global player on Thursday. Whoever the global player is, he will be expected to contribute on special teams.

“The way the rules are, they can’t come in for a Canadian starter,” Dickenson said. “That makes it’s hard, so I think you’ll see them on the return teams.”

Zimmermann, who quit his part-time job as a teacher to focus on playing professionally, is still dealing with reaching his goal of making the Riders’ active roster.

“It’s great (to make the roster) and I still can’t believe it right now,” said the 25-year-old Zimmermann. “Actually, nothing has changed and I would work the same way if I just made the practice roster. This is even better and what I have dreamed of every day for the past two years. It’s little bit unreal now, but it doesn’t change my attitude or anything else.”