Seahawks vs. 49ers injury report: Richard Sherman expected to play; Sidney Rice a game-time decision

While the Seahawks expect CB Richard Sherman to be on the field Sunday evening, Sidney Rice's status remains up in the air as he deals with a knee injury, according to Danny O'Neil of the Seattle Times.

Sherman has missed two consecutive practices as he reportedly appeals his failed performance-enhancing drugs test, but head coach Pete Carroll is confident he'll be ready to take on the 49ers. The Seahawks secondary could actually be stronger than it has been over the past few weeks, too, as Marcus Trufant and Walter Thurmond were able to make it back to practice Friday with their hamstring injuries finally showing improvement. They will both be game-time decisions, but the fact that they could practice Friday is encouraging.

As for Rice, John Boyle of the Everett Herald is reporting that Carroll also believes he'll play but that's only if they like what they see when Rice tests his knee out before Sunday's game. If he does make it back on the field though, he'll certainly still have a difficult time against San Francisco's physical corners at less than 100%. In Seattle's first meeting with the Niners, Rice was limited to just two receptions for 32 yards as the Russell Wilson and the Seahawks completed just nine passes.

In other injury news, O'Neil reports that DT Alan Branch (ankle) is ready to go after turning in back-to-back practices. The same cannot be said for fellow defensive lineman Jason Jones, who was place on injured reserve earlier this week. O'Neil discovered the exact nature of his injury was torn cartilage in his knee which is unfortunate for the 26-year-old, considering he's a free agent in 2013.