Cowboys’ Mike McCarthy gives update on offensive line injuries ahead of Giants game

The starting five in the Cowboys offensive line has been in a state of flux since Mike McCarthy took over as head coach three years ago.

Why would Sunday’s opener against the New York Giants be any different?

Left guard Tyler Smith, who suffered a hamstring strain in Monday’s practice, is listed as doubtful. That means he’s unlikely to play.

Left tackle Tyron Smith, who tweaked his ankle in Thursday’s practice, is listed as questionable.

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Both are scheduled to take part in Saturday’s practice on a limited basis and McCarthy said what they are — or aren’t able to do — will determine if they have a chance to play against the Giants.

If both are unable to play, veteran Chuma Edoga and fourth-round pick Asim Richards have been getting the most work in those spots. If Tyron Smith is able to play at left tackle, it will be interesting to see if McCarthy goes with Richards at guard since he’ll be between two veterans in Smith and center Tyler Biadasz.

“That’s really something we’ve been dealing with since I arrived here,” McCarthy said of juggling the offensive line. “We do have some experience with it. We talked about this throughout camp, how the offensive line is the one position we worked every combination possible.

“That has been the silver lining hopefully in this transition. We obviously haven’t had the first five guys out there on the field, I think, we only had them out there for one practice.

“We’ve been working all of the different combinations. Hopefully, those reps will pay off.”

Briefly: Running backs coach Jeff Blasko is on a medical leave of absence and will miss Sunday’s game, the team announced. His coaching duties will be shared by the offensive staff.

Safety Donovan Wilson (doubtful) and defensive end Sam Williams (questionable) also appeared on the final practice report. Wilson hasn’t been through a full week of practice since training camp began in late July.

“I don’t think that’s practical to jump right back in for the amount of time Dono has missed,’’ McCarthy said of Wilson being on a snap count if he does return. “You’ll want to transition him back to being a full-time player.’’

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