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Alshon Jeffery limited in practice, but says ankle will be fine

The Eagles wideout expects to play against the Cowboys on Sunday night despite being limited in practice.

Philadelphia Eagles' Alshon Jeffery, left, scores in the third quarter as San Francisco 49ers' Brock Coyle, right, tries to defend on Sunday, Oct. 29, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pa. (David Maialetti/Philadelphia Inquirer/TNS)
Philadelphia Eagles' Alshon Jeffery, left, scores in the third quarter as San Francisco 49ers' Brock Coyle, right, tries to defend on Sunday, Oct. 29, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pa. (David Maialetti/Philadelphia Inquirer/TNS)Read moreDavid Maialetti

A key player showing up on the injury report as unable to practice fully after doing so the day before – that's what passes for intrigue around the 8-1 Eagles these days. So Alshon Jeffery seemed more amused than alarmed to see a few dozen reporters crowding around his locker stall as he got dressed Thursday afternoon.

Jeffery was listed as a partial participant, with the notation "ankle."

"I'll be all right," he said. He'd walked to his stall without a limp.

Asked if he injured his ankle during practice, Jeffery said the problem was "just something that's been going on."

Asked if he will play Sunday night at Dallas, Jeffery, a starting wideout who has 34 catches for 500 yards and five touchdowns, said: "Most definitely."

The mask

New Eagles tackle Will Beatty wears a special face mask with extra bars, a legacy of the detached retina that caused him to miss Super Bowl XLVI, in which his Giants defeated the Patriots.

Beatty said Thursday that he began experiencing blurred vision in the days following a Game 10 loss to the Eagles – but he doesn't recall anything specific happening in the game that would have detached the retina. Ultimately, surgery was required, and Beatty watched from the sideline as the confetti dropped at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

"It wasn't one incident of blunt-force trauma that caused it. They caught it, and they were like, 'We need to fix this now, don't let it linger. It could get worse,' " Beatty recalled.

Report: Tyron Smith won’t play

The NFL Network reported Thursday that Cowboys all-pro left tackle Tyron Smith, who hasn't practiced this week with the groin and back problems that caused him to miss last Sunday's Atlanta game, will not play against the Eagles this week.

The report said Byron Bell will start, not Chaz Green. Green and Bell gave up six sacks to Adrian Clayborn on Sunday, as Dak Prescott was sacked eight times.

Meanwhile, Dez Bryant (knee) practiced Thursday after sitting out Wednesday.