ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Lloyd Carr is pleased with the progress shown by his Michigan Wolverines in the past month.

He just wishes he knew which of them will be ready to play on Saturday.

Michigan defeated neighboring Eastern Michigan 33-22 last weekend, its fourth straight victory after humiliating season-opening losses to Appalachian State and Oregon.

“There are very, very positive things,” Carr said Monday. “I’m optimistic about what this team has done recently, and the prospects as we go into the rest of the schedule.”

Carr, though, didn’t have much good news about his team’s numerous injuries.

“Until we get out there and practice, I’m not going to know much,” he said. “Guys might look better and feel better, but you don’t know how they are really coming back from the injury until they get on the practice field. They have to be able to handle the practice if they are going to be able to play.”

Carr said he expects several key players to attempt to work out with the team on Tuesday, including offensive linemen Jeremy Ciulla and Perry Dorrestein, linebackers John Thompson and Chris Graham, and defensive tackle Will Johnson.

Starting right guard Alex Mitchell will not play Saturday against Purdue.

“You have to be able to win games when you aren’t at full strength, and we’ve done that for the last four games,” Carr said. “I don’t remember being in a position like we were last week in terms of missing so many players, but it meant that we were able to get some playing time for a lot of young players.”

Tailback Mike Hart has rushed for 976 yards in Michigan’s six games, a stat that pleases Carr given the banged-up offensive line.

“You have to be able to run the ball, and we’ve done that,” he said. “If we can get healthier on the offensive line, it will help a great deal.”

Guard Adam Kraus, one of the few constants on Michigan’s offensive line, has been impressed with his inexperienced teammates’ performances.

“We’ve had a lot of injuries, but the young guys have stepped up and done a great job,” the fifth-year senior said. “We still have to get better, but we’d have to get better even if we were 6-0. You don’t win the Big 10 without getting better as the year goes on.

“I want us to be known as a tough team – an offense that can run the ball and protect the quarterback,” Kraus said. “That’s our job. I don’t worry about what the quarterbacks and receivers are doing. I worry about doing our job.”

One of those receivers, senior Adrian Arrington, thinks the injury bug has kept Michigan from becoming a cohesive unit.

“The injuries have made a huge difference, because every time you lose someone, you have to rebuild some of the team chemistry,” he said. “We’ve finally started to overcome that in the past couple games, but we’re still searching for an identity.”