Asomugha Will Play Monday Against Patriots

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When Andy Reid ran through the players who won’t be on the field Monday night against the Patriots, one name he left out was Nnamdi Asomugha.

Asomugha participated in practice Friday and Saturday after suffering a lip laceration and sore neck in a collision with Nate Allen Monday afternoon.

“The day that I came out here and practiced in the beginning, I thought that was going to be fine, but I put my helmet on and that wasn’t the case,” Asomugha said, referring to Thursday, when he left practice early. “But I never gave thought to not playing. If the game was yesterday, then there would have been some thought… but it’s preseason. We’re not going to play the whole game so I think going out there and just keeping my wind and my fitness and playing the mental game, playing the physical game, testing the neck out and just going through it, I think that’ll be important.”

Reid said Asomugha had a spasm in his back area, but after that was taken care of, the team decided he would play.

“He had a spasm in his back area, and it was just a matter of making sure that we got that calmed down, and he felt great,” Reid said. “He’s a good communicator, so it feels like he’s ready to go.”

Meanwhile, Mike Kafka, Jason Babin, Riley Cooper and Casey Matthews will all miss Monday’s game. Kafka continues to recover from a fractured left hand he suffered in the first preseason game. Babin is rehabbing a calf strain he sustained early in camp. Cooper had surgery to repair a fractured collarbone and almost certainly won’t play in the preseason. And Matthews has a high ankle sprain.

“Everybody else is scheduled to play unless something comes up different from now until then,” Reid said.

The starters are scheduled to go at least a half and possibly three quarters. Once Michael Vick comes out, Nick Foles will take over. Reid did not mention Trent Edwards, although he could change in his mind.

“I’ll just get a feel, see how it all rolls and go from there,” Reid said.

King Dunlap will get the start at left tackle for Demetress Bell.

Follow Sheil Kapadia on Twitter and e-mail him at skapadia@phillymag.com.