MONTREAL -- Kyries Hebert was back on the field at the Montreal Alouettes' practice on Friday, but there is still no guarantee the veteran safety will be ready to play.
Hebert hurt his left ankle on Wednesday, an injury he jokingly referred to as a bug bite.
He hopes it will heal enough to play on Sunday when Montreal faces the visiting Toronto Argonauts in the CFL East Division final.
"It's starting to go down a bit, but it still feels like I've been bit so I have to take the proper precautions to get myself as best as possible," the 32-year-old said. "I just wanted to try to move around a bit and see if I'll be able to go.
"No decision is made yet. It'll be up to the coaches and training staff after seeing my movement, or lack thereof."
Hebert seemed to be moving well on the field during drills.
Coach Marc Trestman wants to be sure Hebert can play the full game without re-injuring the ankle.
"It's better," said Trestman. "Hopefully the swelling stays down (Saturday). He has certainly participated enough to think that he could go, but we'll see how it is. He still has to work out before the game to see if there's any lingering effect at all.
"The question would be 'could he tolerate whatever is lingering and could he go the distance?' In a game like this, I don't think that's unreasonable."
Hebert prides himself on staying healthy. He said he missed only one game in his career due to injury, and that was precautionary. But the decision will be made by the coaches and trainers.
"There's going to be a lot of trust involved here," the Eunice, La., native said. "I have to trust that if they say I'm not the guy because of my condition, then I'm not the guy. But I've never seen an ant bite keep a bird down."
If he cannot play, Canadians Marc-Olivier Brouillette and Daryl Townsend would likely suit up at safety, and it would open a spot for another import player. Trestman has not yet decided who that would be.
