Rookie wide receiver Jared Abbrederis injured his knee Thursday. Credit: Mark Hoffman

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NOTE: Read more about this situation in our updated story

Green Bay - The Green Bay Packers were hoping for the best but fearing the worst Friday on knee damage suffered by wide receiver Jared Abbrederis of Wisconsin Thursday in practice.

A source told the Journal Sentinel that the diagnosis of the team's medical staff early Friday morning was a torn anterior cruciate ligament. The team was awaiting results of more diagnostic tests to confirm their original finding.

The Packers made no announcement of the damage suffered by Abbrederis, their fifth-round draft choice.

"I haven't had time to sit down with the medical staff," coach Mike McCarthy said about 11 a.m. "Right now, he has a knee. He completed practice yesterday."

Last year, tackle Bryan Bulaga also completed the intrasquad scrimmage at Lambeau with a knee injury that later was discovered to be a torn ACL.

Abbrederis attended practice Friday morning with a sizeable sleeve covering his right knee. He was able to jog from the field to the sideline, but then mostly stood around on the sideline.

Abbrederis had been giving a good account of himself in the first five practices. He played bigger and stronger than advertised, and also projected to be one of the top two or three candidates to return punts. He had become a huge favorite of the fans at Nitschke Field as well.

One reason why Abbrederis slipped to the fifth round despite a record-setting career for the Badgers was the question of durability. Personnel people from two teams said he suffered three or four concussions at UW, although Abbrederis maintained he incurred just one. In high school, he suffered a broken right femur as a sophomore but made a rapid recovery.

At 6 feet 1 inch and 195 pounds, Abbrederis was one of the leanest wide receivers in camp. At the combine, he bench-pressed 225 pounds just four times, which tied for the lowest total of more than 300 athletes in Indianapolis.