Christian Gonzalez is trending in the right direction from his hamstring injury.

The Patriots cornerback hasn’t played all season due to the injury he suffered in July. But that could change come Sunday.

Coach Mike Vrabel told reporters he plans to ramp up Gonzalez this week in practice in hopes of him making his season debut against the Carolina Panthers.

“Excited about his efforts and willingness to get back and work hard in practice last week,” he said. “I made a decision at the end of the week that he needed a little bit more time.”

The Patriots defense would certainly benefit from having Gonzalez back in game action. Alex Austin has been filing in for Gonzalez, but the Miami Dolphins exposed him several times in New England’s Week 2 win , including allowing a 47-yard pass to

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