Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen returned to practice Wednesday on a limited basis and is expected to play Sunday after missing five of the team’s last six games with a hamstring injury.
Thielen first injured his hamstring Oct. 20 against the Detroit Lions while catching a 25-yard touchdown. He tried to return in a Nov. 3 game at Kansas City but left after just seven snaps, as the same hamstring continued to give him problems.
Minnesota has gone 3-1 with Thielen sitting out the past four games as the Vikings (9-4) hold a one-game lead over the surging Los Angeles Rams for the second wild-card spot in the NFC. He is expected to play in Sunday’s game at Los Angeles against the Chargers, according to an ESPN report.
Thielen, 29, has 27 receptions for 391 yards and six touchdowns in eight games this season. He has 320 receptions over 88 games in his six-year career — all with the Vikings — for 4,288 yards and 25 TDs.
Vikings running back Alexander Mattison did not practice Wednesday because of an ankle injury, but the Southern California native says he plans to play in Sunday’s game on the West Coast.
