EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- Playing in the season opener has been at the forefront of Adrian Petersons mind almost since he went down with a torn left ACL in the second-to-last game of the 2011 season. How long it has taken other running backs to return from the injury doesnt concern Peterson. The Minnesota Vikings star running back has always seen himself as different from everyone else, and he has made it abundantly clear that he expects to play against Jacksonville on Sunday. He has one more week to make his case to Vikings coach Leslie Frazier and his staff. Frazier said on Monday that the Vikings would not make a decision on Petersons status until game day, and he cautioned that even if Peterson does return, he shouldnt expect the workload he carried before he was injured just yet. "We recognize if hes able to get in this first ballgame, itll be with limited exposure," Frazier said. "Well talk about it as the week goes on and see how hes doing and if its even a viable option to let him play." That means fewer carries than Peterson is used to getting as the workhorse and focal point of the Vikings offence, and likely more work for backup Toby Gerhart. Perhaps the biggest obstacle the Vikings have in handling the situation is Petersons state of mind. He has worked tirelessly to get himself prepared to help his team, throwing himself into the rehab process from the moment he came out of surgery. With his team coming off a disastrous 3-13 season, Peterson knows they need him in the backfield to have any chance, and the coaches know it, too. "You really have to take the emotion out of it," Frazier said. "You have to really hone in on whats best for him, whats best for our team. Adrian is not just another guy on our team. He is in so many ways the face of what we try to do. We have to be able to see the big picture when it comes to him and thats the way well approach it." On a rebuilding team coming off of a last-place finish in one of the strongest divisions in the league, the Vikings may not need to rush him back. He felt like he was ready to play in the preseason, but coaches and the teams training staff preferred to take a more gradual approach. "Id love to have him out there, that goes without saying for our entire team," centre John Sullivan said. "But at the same time its out of our hands. I hope he is. But if not, weve got to go forward with the guys that are ready to go." Peterson wasnt available for comment Monday, but he did participate in practice. Coaches will be especially interested to see how he handles himself in Thursdays padded practice. "We have to see him get through some things and see how he handles certain things from a mental and physical standpoint," Frazier said. "Its different when there is no endpoint, in his case he knew a few weeks ago he wasnt going to play in the preseason. Now the mindset changes a little bit and we have to see how he handles that." Gerhart emerged as a capable fill-in for Peterson after the injury, the kind of physical runner who gets better as the game goes on and the carries increase. Gerhart had just 24 carries in the first 10 games last season, but his work load increased over the final six games as the Vikings faded from contention. As the carries increased, Gerharts production did as well. He rushed for 91 yards on 21 carries and caught eight passes for another 42 yards against Denver on Dec. 4, then picked up another 90 yards on 19 carries the following week against Detroit. Peterson went down two weeks later in Washington and Gerhart came through with 11 carries for 109 yards, the first time hes topped 100 yards in a game in his two NFL seasons, and showed that he is up to the task in the NFL. "With Toby we can run our offence even if Adrian isnt in there," Frazier said. "We feel like we dont have to change any of our plays. Were very confident and comfortable with Toby being our lead back if thats the case. The same runs that Adrian would have would be the same runs that Toby would have." NOTES: CB Josh Robinson (concussion) and S Mistral Raymond (back) returned to practice after missing the preseason finale. Frazier said they should be ready to play on Sunday. The only player whose chances are questionable right now appears to be backup LB Marvin Mitchell, who has a high ankle sprain. ... The Vikings signed OL Kevin Murphy, DL Ernest Owusu, WR Tori Gurley and WR Chris Summers to the practice squad. CFL Jerseys .S. Ryder Cup team surprised European captain Jose Maria Olazabal. Official CFL Jerseys . "Our defence was embarrassing, pretty much from start to finish," Skiles said after Monta Ellis scored six of his 22 points in the final 2 minutes to help the Bucks hold off the New Orleans Hornets 117-113 on Saturday night for their third straight victory. http://www.cflofficial.ca/ . Meireles, 29, just joined Chelsea last summer from Liverpool, but departs for the Turkish side after completing his switch on Monday night. LONDON -- Theo Walcotts drawn-out contract standoff with Arsenal ended Friday with the signing of a lucrative new contract. The England forward could have left the club for free at the end of the season, but has agreed to a 3 1/2-year deal that sees his salary rise by two-thirds to about 100,000 pounds ($160,000) a week. "I have made it clear from the start that I wanted to stay at Arsenal, so I am pleased we have agreed a deal that everyone is happy with," Walcott said. "What is important now is for the team to realize its potential and win trophies." Arsenal has not won a trophy since 2005, the year before Walcott joined from Southampton. The uncertainty over Walcotts future has coincided with the Gunners struggling in the Premier League, with the team currently sixth. "Theos contract extension now givves us a strong nucleus of ambitious young players who have committed to the club and want to be successful with us as a group," Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said.dddddddddddd Walcott has been granted his wish in recent matches to play as a centre forward, and he is Arsenals leading scorer this season with 14 goals. "He joined us as a 16-year-old and since then has developed very well to become an extremely important player for both Arsenal and England," Wenger said. "Theo is a strong player and also a great person, and the combination of his ability and pace always make him such a valuable asset either from the flanks or down the middle." Arsenals hopes of a trophy this season seem to rest with the FA Cup and Champions League, where the team faces Bayern Munich in the last 16 next month. ' ' '