Mike Vrabel offers troubling Will Campbell knee injury update

Mike Vrabel offered a grim forecast Monday on the availability of standout Patriots rookie offensive tackle Will Campbell, who exited the team’s Week 12 win over the Bengals with a knee injury.

Speaking on WEEI after Sunday’s 26-20 victory, the first-year Patriots coach said he “wouldn’t imagine” Campbell suiting up for next week’s “Monday Night Football” clash against the Giants, let alone in the immediate future.

“We won’t know much,” Vrabel said. “Yesterday was not a great day for us with injuries. There will be some players that went out of that game yesterday that won’t be available Monday night. Hopefully we get some of those guys back. We have an extra day. I won’t be able to tell you much. I wouldn’t imagine that Will’s going play in the game. I don’t think that will be something that will happen. That injury is going to probably be more than a week or two.”

Sunday turned into an injury-filled affair for the Patriots, who saw Campbell — this year’s fourth-overall pick out of LSU — go down in the third quarter with a right knee injury. He was carted off with a towel draped over his head.

New England also lost offensive lineman Jared Wilson to an ankle injury.

Early reports Monday indicated Campbell likely sustained an MCL sprain in his right knee, with NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport noting he’ll have an MRI on the knee.

With the playoffs well within reach for the 10-2 Patriots, Rapoport added Campbell, 21, is “a candidate for Injured Reserve, with the hope he returns when it counts the most.”

The Patriots will enter the bye week following their primetime game against the Giants (2-10) on Dec. 1.

They’ll return to action Dec. 14 against the 7-4 Bills, who are currently chasing the Pats for AFC East dominance.