If all goes according to plan, the Carolina Panthers will be about as healthy as can be for Sunday's divisional playoff with the Seahawks.

Coach Ron Rivera said Monday he expects every player who missed the regular-season finale to practice on Wednesday except for running back Fozzy Whittaker (ankle).

That means running back Jonathan Stewart (foot), receiver Ted Ginn (leg), safety Kurt Coleman (foot) and linebacker A.J. Klein (hamstring) are on pace to play the Seahawks.

"But you know me, I’m optimistic," Rivera said.

Yes, he is, but the plan for Stewart the past few weeks was to give his sprained foot four full weeks of rest before unleashing him in the postseason. Stewart has said all along that was the hope, and on Wednesday, he confirmed he's still on track:

As long as Stewart plays, Whittaker's probable absence shouldn't have much of a negative effect. Rookie Cameron Artis-Payne proved in late-season spot starts that he can handle a sizable role.

Ginn's status could be the trickiest to track this week. When asked for the specifics of the injury, Rivera would only say: "It's a leg." And it's a problem if something like that isn't firing correctly for a speedster like Ginn.

"He's going to build up to it and see how it feels," Rivera said. "As he starts going again, we have to be smart and judicious with it and get him to the point where he's confident and comfortable and get him rolling."