By Simon Evans
MIAMI (Reuters) - Injured Indianapolis Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney said a decision on his participation in Sunday's Super Bowl will not be made until Friday at the earliest.
Freeney, anchor of the Colts defensive line, gingerly limped into a news conference ton Tuesday and was far from optimistic about his chances of being on the field for every snap against the New Orleans Saints.
"The ankle is pretty much day to day and hopefully toward the end of the week it will start to get better," said the five times Pro Bowler.
"It is early to call it, we still have some recovery to do and the decision will come on Friday or Saturday about how much I am actually going to play.
"Obviously, the competitor in me says 'nothing is going to stop me' but that said it is not up to me -- it is up to the coach and the staff," he added.
The 29-year-old Freeney, who had 13.5 sacks this season, suffered a low ankle sprain against the New York Jets and has been in Miami since Friday, four days before his team-mates, receiving treatment.
"I have people out here, different chiropractic people. The main thing about me coming down here early was, if I took the flight on Monday, the swelling is still there. Coming down here on Friday, it gives me a couple extra days for the swelling to go down from the flight."
The Colt said that he has tried all manner of techniques to deal with the injury.
"Everything imaginable. I've thrown everything at it. All different types of techniques, I'm doing everything. Just trying to do the best thing to get that thing feeling as good as possible, so I have the best chance of playing.
"You name it, I've probably done it. Chiropractic, from oxygen chambers, to regular therapy, to ice, to everything, everything."
Freeney does not expect to take part in any of the team's practice sessions this week.
"It's safe to say that I probably won't. I'll probably stay off of it and just get ready," he said.
(Reporting by Simon Evans in Miami; Editing by Justin Palmer)
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