National Football League

Oakland Raiders notebook: Running back Darren McFadden 'still feeling' hamstring injury

Published Oct. 15, 2010 10:12 a.m. ET

foxsports

Running back Darren McFadden looks just fine on the practice field. His words paint a different picture regarding the health of his injured right hamstring.

"I'm still feeling it right now," McFadden said of the discomfort Thursday. "I haven't just gone out there and tried to go 100 percent all the way."

As a result, he said his status for Sunday's game against the 49ers is "up in the air."

Raiders coach Tom Cable said he won't risk aggravating McFadden's injury by playing him at anything less than 100 percent healthy.

McFadden suffered the injury on a 23-yard run in the second half against the Houston Texans on Oct. 3. He missed Oakland's win over the San Diego Chargers on Sunday.

Because McFadden said he hasn't felt comfortable enough to kick it into high gear just yet, Cable said he considers Michael Bush the leading candidate to start against the 49ers.

Defensive coordinator John Marshall talked last week about the need to create more turnovers and that he sensed them coming in bunches. Then the Raiders forced three turnovers against the Chargers, including a fumble that strong safety Tyvon Branch turned into a 64-yard game-clinching touchdown return with 58 seconds left in the game.

"It's the direct correlation of why we won on Sunday," Cable said.

The Raiders fumbled three times, and they recovered all three. The Chargers lost all three of their fumbles, including one at the Raiders' 1-yard line. In five games, the Raiders have recovered six fumbles and intercepted two passes.

No. 3 quarterback Kyle Boller took some reps with the first-team offense in yet another sign that Jason Campbell is going to start against the 49ers and that injured regular Bruce Gradkowski won't play.

Cable activated Boller for the Chargers game in case Gradkowski aggravated his right shoulder injury, a scenario that happened late in the first quarter. Gradkowski missed practice Thursday for the second straight day.

"There's some improvement with Bruce," Cable said, "but unless he could work (today), we kind of know where we're headed with it."

Left guard Robert Gallery said he intends to play Sunday now that his right hamstring has healed enough for him to get into a stance, push off and do the necessary things without pain.

"Until this week, I wasn't able to drive out of a stance," Gallery said. "You can't fight through that. I just have to be comfortable with the stuff I do in practice and go in a game and do that. Obviously, it's probably not going to feel great or 100 percent, but if I can go, that's what I am going to do."

Gallery has missed the past four games. He looked fine in practice Wednesday and Thursday, Cable said, and is full go.

Wide receiver Chaz Schilens (knee) isn't expected to practice until next week, at the earliest, Cable said. Schilens had surgery on his left knee midway through training camp and hasn't practiced for almost two months.