Carolina Panthers’ Star Lotulelei has low ankle sprain

Defensive tackle Star Lotulelei got some good news after a very ugly looking injury during Monday night’s 45-21 loss to the Eagles.

Lotulelei has a sprained right ankle, Panthers coach Ron Rivera said Tuesday. X rays and an MRI were both negative, and Lotulelei’s sprain is not a high ankle sprain.

“The way it was relayed to me, it’s more like the kind you would get on a basketball court,” Rivera said. “Now again he is a big guy, and big guys tend to heal a little bit slower on ankle sprains. But again, it’s a lower ankle sprain as opposed to the high ones.”

Lotulelei will not play this week against Atlanta, and Rivera expects the second-year defensive tackle to return after the Week 12 bye.

Lotulelei stepped on a teammate during the second half of the game and went down. He would be carted off the field and ruled out for the game shortly after.

Veterans Dwan Edwards and Colin Cole will compete this week to replace Lotulelei and start beside second-year tackle Kawann Short.

Benwikere will practice: Rookie nickel cornerback Bené Benwikere is expected to make his return to practice on Wednesday, Rivera said.

Benwikere, a fifth-round pick out of San Jose State, has been sidelined since suffering a high ankle sprain in Week 5 against Chicago. He worked out on the sidelines during practice last week but did not participate.

The Panthers have replaced Benwikere with a combination of cornerback James Dockery and safety Colin Jones. But Benwikere is able to play variations of Carolina’s nickel defense, and his ability to defend the pass is superior to his replacements.

In five games including two starts, Benwikere has eight tackles and two passes defensed.

This story was originally published November 11, 2014 at 6:23 PM with the headline "Carolina Panthers’ Star Lotulelei has low ankle sprain ."