NY Giants 'hopeful' Andrew Thomas will make his return Sunday vs. Las Vegas Raiders

LAS VEGAS - The New York Giants are "hopeful" star left tackle Andrew Thomas will make his return after sitting out the last seven games, an individual with knowledge told NorthJersey.com in advance of Sunday's visit to Allegiant Stadium to take on the Raiders.

Thomas injured his left hamstring on the first drive of the season against the Cowboys when Dallas blocked a field goal, and the All-Pro was hurt chasing the return the length of the field in an eventual 40-0 loss.

The Giants (2-6) want to see how Thomas feels Sunday morning before officially giving one of the best offensive linemen in the league the green light, but the expectation is that he will be back in the lineup, shifting Justin Pugh to left guard. Right tackle Evan Neal has missed the last three games with an ankle injury, and like Thomas, he is listed as questionable. The Giants anticipate having Neal available as well, and if he can't go, Tyre Phillips would start at right tackle for the fourth straight week.

Thomas' presence would be an emotional boost for the Giants, who are also welcoming Daniel Jones back to the fold after he missed the last three games with a neck injury. Jones was a full participant all week in practice and is not on the injury report.

The Giants will see a familiar face on the opposite sideline with Antonio Pierce, one of the leaders on their Super Bowl XLII championship team, having taken over as interim head coach of the Raiders with the firing of Josh McDaniels.

The Giants placed Darren Waller and Tyrod Taylor on injured reserve Saturday, meaning they must sit out at least the next four games due to hamstring and rib cage injuries. Lawrence Cager will be the second tight end alongside Daniel Bellinger, who is making his homecoming to Las Vegas.

There remains some mystery as to what the Giants will do at kicker with Graham Gano now on injured reserve.

The Giants signed Cade York from the Titans' practice squad and he is on the active roster. Randy Bullock also is in the mix, having won a four-kicker tryout Thursday against Robbie Gould, Mason Crosby and Matthew Wright.

The Giants elevated Bullock from the practice squad for Sunday's game, so both he and York are eligible to kick. It remains to be seen if the Giants have both kickers active to split the duties between field goals/PATs and kickoffs, or whether one is inactive.

Keep checking back for more updates throughout the game.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NY Giants vs. Las Vegas Raiders: In-game analysis and live updates