The Cowboys enter Sunday night’s game at the Steelers with three defensive starters listed as questionable on the injury report.
Cornerbacks Caelen Carson (shoulder) and Trevon Diggs (ankle) and linebacker Marist Liufau (quad) have different levels of recovery.
Liufau was a new add to the injury report who was limited in the walkthrough practice on Friday. Diggs didn’t participate but coach Mike McCarthy said everything “points to him going Sunday night.”
Carson, who missed last week’s game at the Giants, was also limited in practice and McCarthy didn’t sound optimistic.
“Caelen is coming along slowly,” he said. “If he doesn’t practice (Saturday) then he obviously won’t be available.”
The Cowboys enter the game minus starting defensive ends DeMarcus Lawrence (mid-foot sprain) and Micah Parsons (high-ankle sprain).
If the Cowboys don’t have Carson they could move Andrew Booth or Amani Oruwariye into the starting lineup.
In the Week 4 win over the Giants, Booth started but was benched at the start of the second half. Oruwariye took over and sealed the game with an interception in the closing seconds. Oruqariye, signed August 29, has used one of three standard elevations from the practice squad to the game-day roster.
“That’s what these 24 hours is all about, making sure everybody is ready,” McCarthy said. “We really, in a lot of ways, got to have it set before we get on that plane (Saturday). Each position coach (at the) beginning of the week, you lay out who the 49 (players) are going to be on Sunday. You just don’t train 49 players. Those guys are always preparing to play, they get regular team reps on offense and defense.”
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