RENTON, Wash. -- Seattle Seahawks left tackle Rees Odhiambo is practicing Wednesday after making what coach Pete Carroll called a "very favorable turn" from the chest injury that hospitalized him Sunday night.
Meanwhile, the team has ruled out defensive end Cliff Avril for its Week 5 game at the Los Angeles Rams because of the neck/spine injury he sustained last week. Asked if Avril's injury is a long-term issue, Carroll said, "It could be. It could be."
"Like I'm saying, we're going very slowly making sure that he takes the opportunity to talk with as many people as he needs to talk to so he knows what he's got and what we need to do with it," Carroll said. "We're just going to take care of him and make sure that he's well. If he wants to come back and we want to bring him back, we'll let you know when we know. But right now we don't."
Avril was injured in the first quarter of Seattle's win over the Indianapolis Colts when he dived to tackle Jacoby Brissett from behind and his chin landed hard on the quarterback's heel. Avril didn't return to the game. Carroll on Monday referred to the injury as a serious stinger and said Avril briefly experienced trouble with feeling in his hands.
Asked Wednesday if Avril is still experiencing symptoms, Carroll said, "I think he's fine. He feels fine from what he said the other day."
Avril, 31, has only missed one game since joining the Seahawks in 2013 as a free agent after five seasons with the Detroit Lions.
"We're going to take some time to make sure that we're evaluating him well like we talked about," Carroll said. "We're just going to hold him out."
Frank Clark will start in Avril's absence while former Philadelphia Eagles first-round pick Marcus Smith will also be in line for more playing time.
Odhiambo, listed as a full participant in Wednesday's practice, was injured in the third quarter against Indianapolis when he took a hit to the chest on an interception return.
He finished the game but was having trouble breathing, which worsened after the game to the point that he needed medical attention from paramedics in the locker room. Odhiambo said he doesn't remember much about that and that he started coming to in the ambulance on the way to the hospital, where he stayed overnight and was diagnosed with a bruised sternum, per the team.
Carroll said it will be important to see how Odhiambo handles practicing in pads in order to gauge his chances of playing Sunday against the Rams. If he can't, either Matt Tobin or Isaiah Battle would start for Seattle at left tackle.
Carroll said it's "going to be a long week" for cornerback Jeremy Lane as he tries to come back from a groin strain that knocked him out of the Colts game on the opening possession. Lane won't practice Wednesday or Thursday, Carroll said. If he can't play Sunday, rookie Shaquill Griffin would again take his place at right cornerback with Justin Coleman handling nickelback duties.
"We're going to see all the way to the end of the week if he can make a comeback on this thing, but he won't be able to practice the next couple of days," Carroll said of Lane.