Sunday

Dwight Freeney

The Colts’ leading sackmeister has an ankle injury that may be worse than initially revealed.

Dwight Freeney, who injured his right ankle in the waning minutes of the AFC championship game, suffered “considerable ligament damage,” an unnamed source told the NFL Network. Such an injury would make a Super Bowl appearance doubtful. At the very least, it would severely limit Freeney’s effectiveness.

But the Colts maintain that Freeney has a low ankle sprain, not a torn ligament, and is expected to play Sunday against the Saints.

“He is under the care of our athletic training staff,” said Colts spokesman Craig Kelley. “Nothing we have seen changes our diagnosis that he is questionable. He has a third-degree, low basketball sprain.”

Freeney led Indianapolis with 13.5 sacks despite missing 4 games in the regular season with knee, hip and abdomen injuries.