Vikings backup center Michael Jurgens joins the offensive line injury list

WARE, ENGLAND – Another Vikings offensive lineman is injured.

Center Michael Jurgens was among eight players held out of Wednesday’s practice, which coach Kevin O’Connell turned into a lower-intensity walkthrough. The team will practice in pads on Thursday.

Jurgens, who has a hamstring injury, watched Wednesday’s session with a compression sleeve on his left leg. The second-year center has already appeared in three of four games this season for injured center Ryan Kelly, who is in the concussion protocol for the second time in three weeks.

Offensive lineman Blake Brandel, who has already played guard and tackle this season, took first-team reps at center.

Jurgens also will not practice Thursday.

“He’s responding to treatment pretty well,” O’Connell said. “I’m going to try to get him some work on Friday, see how he turns over.”

Five offensive linemen were held out: Kelly, Jurgens, right tackle Brian O’Neill (knee) and guard Donovan Jackson (wrist); left tackle Christian Darrisaw (knee) took a scheduled rest day.

“Never, ever question their effort,” quarterback Carson Wentz said of the patchwork offensive line. “That’s one thing I think has been constant no matter who is in there.”

“Even seeing different guys in the huddle today,” Wentz added, “they’re locked in and ready to compete.”

The Vikings’ starting five entering the season — Darrisaw, Jackson, Kelly, Fries, and O’Neill — have not played a single snap together. Darrisaw did not debut until Week 3, when Kelly was out, and Jackson missed last week’s loss to the Steelers following wrist surgery.

Jackson and O’Neill are not expected to play against the Browns on Sunday while Kelly appears likely to be out, too.

Quarterback J.J. McCarthy (ankle), outside linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel (neck) and tight end Ben Yurosek (knee) also did not practice.

“Getting all these guys back on the field together, at one point, is out there for us,” O’Connell said.

Fullback C.J. Ham and outside linebacker Tyler Batty, both dealing with knee injuries, returned to practice for the first time while on injured reserve. This opens their three-week practice window before they must be activated or shelved for the year. Ham could play as early as Sunday.

Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski, a Vikings assistant from 2006 through 2019, announced a quarterback change on Wednesday. He’s benching veteran Joe Flacco in favor of rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel, a third-round pick out of Oregon who will make his first NFL start against the Vikings.

Flacco will be Cleveland’s No. 2 quarterback vs. the Vikings, Stefanski told reporters.

“He’s a very intelligent young man,” Stefanski said of Gabriel. “He’s done a nice job throughout practice and this whole season he’s been learning how to get yourself ready and understand the rhythm of an NFL week and what that looks like as a backup. Obviously now feel like he’s ready to go as a starter.”

Receiver Adam Thielen was spotted at a UEFA Champions League soccer match at Stamford Bridge between Chelsea and Benfica. Wentz and the quarterbacks also played golf at the Hanbury Manor country club housing the team. Safety Josh Metellus hit the stores in central London.

“Sightseeing, ate some good food, shopping — of course, I did,” Metellus said. “Nothing much, though, tried to get off our feet as much as possible. It’s a long drive, so that helped.”