The Vikings face a dilemma once running back Adrian Peterson returns from a high ankle sprain, a healing process that could take at least a few weeks.

At 2-8, should the Vikings limit Peterson’s carries – or even shut him down altogether – in an effort to protect a long-term asset with a seven-year, $100 million contract?

Or do the Vikings have too much to prove, from the roster to the coaching staff, to sideline the game’s best running back if he’s available?

Those questions will surface this week as the Vikings prepare for Sunday’s game against the Atlanta Falcons at the Georgia Dome.

Peterson, who has 1,384 carries since entering the league in 2007, will be 32 by the end of his new deal. And the Vikings hope he will spend the coming years playing in meaningful games as the team rebounds from a nightmarish season.

Coach Leslie Frazier is holding out hope for a miraculous recovery, saying Peterson could begin light football activity as early as Friday. He’ll spend the next few days in a protective boot after a magnetic resonance imaging exam revealed a Grade 1 high ankle sprain with minor ligament damage.

Peterson left Sunday’s game against Oakland late in the first quarter after getting his left foot stuck in the turf and turning over Huff attempted a tackle.

The decision to play Peterson will be “purely based on his health,” Frazier said.

“We don’t want to put him at risk,” Frazier added. “You know how valuable he is to our team and our franchise. So we’ll monitor where he is and try to make a good decision with what’s best for him and what’s best for our team as well.”

Peterson was unavailable for comment Monday, driving off in his white Escalade before the locker room opened for media access and giving reporters the peace sign.

If Peterson had addressed the media, he probably would have expressed optimism about playing sooner rather than later. Peterson takes pride in his high pain tolerance, saying Sunday that sitting out to rest an injury is “not in my DNA.”

Running backs often are defined by their numbers. Peterson leads the league with 11 rushing touchdowns and, before Sunday, was on pace for a 1,504-yard rushing season.

Surely, he’d like those totals to mushroom, but the Vikings might have to protect Peterson from himself if he lobbies to play before he’s ready.

“He’s the center point of our offense,” Frazier said. “Anytime you don’t have Adrian Peterson, it alters your plans as an offense and as a team.”

For the Atlanta game, expect to see more of Toby Gerhart, who has toiled in the large shadow of Peterson since being drafted by the Vikings in the second round in 2010.

Gerhart, who is in the second year of a $3.767 million deal, won’t be a feature back while in Minnesota, but he’s likely to be one for at least a week. He acquitted himself nicely in spot duty last season, rushing for 153 yards and a touchdown on 38 carries in two games, against Washington and Chicago, while Peterson nursed minor injuries.

In the 11 games since, Gerhart has 28 rushes for 136 yards and six receptions for 67 yards.

No wonder he’s eager for a chance and prepared to log extra hours in the film room this week, if necessary.

“We’re all hoping (Peterson) gets better quick, but at the same time, I’m excited,” Gerhart said. “It’s a chance for me to really show what I can do and be featured and have fun with it.”

Defensive end Jared Allen cautions that Gerhart isn’t the average NFL backup tailback.

“I think people forget, he was runner-up for the Heisman,” Allen said. “Hopefully, we can see some of that magic.”