After initially thinking they would have running back Christian McCaffrey back in the lineup, the Carolina Panthers now don't expect their star to be ready for the Week 15 matchup against the Green Bay Packers.

McCaffrey was limited at practice on Tuesday, and head coach Matt Rhule was pessimistic about his chances to play on Sunday.

“I'm not expecting him to play as of right now,” Rhule said to reporters, via SI. “We'll see how the next couple of days unfold. Today was a walkthrough, so he was able to do some things but I'm not expecting him to play as we sit here right now. I just haven't really seen him run yet and if he came out tomorrow then that would probably turn my thinking.”

Various injuries have forced McCaffrey to miss 10 of the Panthers' 13 games this season.

Rhule did not fully rule the halfback out for Week 15, and indicated that a promising showing at practice on Wednesday could improve his chances of facing the Packers.

“I know he's improving, he's getting better, but we'll practice tomorrow and see if that changes in a positive direction but I'm just not expecting it right now,” Rhule added.

McCaffrey was listed as having a quad injury, but it's unclear precisely what the extent of the ailment is. The quad issue was an addition to the injury report beginning last week, joining ankle, thigh, and shoulder injuries as official reasons for his repeated absences.

McCaffrey has missed the past four games. He thought he would return to face the Denver Broncos in Week 14, but a tweaked thigh during the team's bye week kept him out, on top of the shoulder issue that sidelined him for the previous three games.

With the Panthers sitting at 4-9 and out of the playoff picture, it's certainly possible that the organization is being extra-cautious with their top offensive weapon and franchise player.

If McCaffrey can't go, Mike Davis will continue filling the void as RB1.