Joe Sandberg is out for now.
The senior tailback hasn't yet shaken the stiffness out of his leg, and his status for Saturday's game against Villanova is "doubtful." There is a greater chance he won't play than he will.
"He hasn't had full range of motion, he's had a little bit of lack of strength in his leg," coach Al Bagnoli said. "He's got to be one hundred percent."
Sandberg returned to Penn after being evaluated Tuesday in New Jersey, and his tender left hamstring has improved, Bagnoli said yesterday.
The injury occurred when Sandberg's leg was extended into an awkward position during the second quarter of the game against Lafayette on Saturday. He tweaked a muscle that had given him problems leading up to the preseason.
"When that happened, it somehow aggravated it, and from there it got worse," Bagnoli said.
Despite the perpetual problem of players under-reporting their injuries, Sandberg's recent flare-up on his hammy came as a definite surprise. The coaches will still value his opinion going forward.
"We've got a good relationship, and he's been pretty open and he's been pretty honest," Bagnoli said. "So I kind of can trust him. Some kids are better liars than others, and he's never been great. But we have a good relationship going back, so if he tells us he's fine, he's fine."
Sandberg didn't participate in the team's on-field practice yesterday.
Despite that, Bagnoli said that if the injury had occurred in a more meaningful game - in the Ivy League, for example - he could have stayed in for the remainder of the contest, even if he was only on "half a leg."
Kelms Amoo-Achampong will likely be taking the handoffs on Saturday.
There are several options for Amoo-Achampong's backup, though. Junior Chris Ashley is the only other player who has seen action at tailback for Penn. He had four rushes against Lafayette and two against Bucknell last year, totalling 11 yards.
