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Earl Wolff has struggled to return from his knee injury

((Photo by Elsa/Getty Images))

PHILADELPHIA -- Eagles head coach Chip Kelly has been very noncommittal all season when it comes to injuries, refusing to say anything one way or another on nearly any injury situation.

That changed on Wednesday, when he laid the gauntlet down on rookie safety Earl Wolff.

"Earl has got to practice if he is going to play," Kelly said. "He's gotta be out there."

If that is the case, the chances of Wolff playing this weekend in the Eagles wild card matchup with the New Orleans Saints appear slim.

Wolff did not practice on Wednesday, the second day in a row in which the safety was unable to do much. The rookie did say, however, that he expects to be a full go on Thursday -- which isn't an overly positive sign, as the Eagles are expected to just have a walk through.

Wolff has been on-and-off the injury report after injuring his knee against the Green Bay Packers two months ago. The injury caused Wolff to miss four of the next five games, including last week against Dallas. Wolff briefly saw time against the Chicago Bears two weeks ago, but lasted just four snaps before his day was done.

Although he has been optimistic about the injury, Wolff's demeanor has started to change. The rookie seemed concerned when talking about it earlier in the week, saying he was frustrated with the knee still bothering him.

If Wolff can't play, it will once again be Patrick Chung as the starter, a position he began the season with before losing it due to performance. Chung had an decent game against Dallas, although his missed tackle against Cowboys' wideout Dez Bryant did lead to a touchdown.

Follow Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks