New York Giants coach Tom Coughlin has reassured fans that offensive tackle David Diehl is tough enough to deal with his thumb injury.
Diehl was ruled out for up to six weeks after being told by doctors that surgery was the best course of action for his injured hand.
The 32-year-old is understood to have been willing to play through the pain and even turned up to practice on Tuesday ready to take part in a cast, prompting Coughlin to hail the "toughness" of the man.
"The doctor felt like he really needed to have his thumb corrected so he can go forward," Coughlin told reporters.
"He has been in a lot of pain, he's a tough guy and you would never even know it. He will get this fixed and he will be back."
As for who will replace Diehl, Coughlin hinted that he will use the remaining two pre-season games to experiment with different players.
"It's time to go figure it out. We have two games to play," he added.
Those two matches come against the New York Jets and the New England Patriots respectively before their regular season gets underway at the Dallas Cowboys.
