The Houston Texans have released their second of three injury reports for the week heading into their upcoming matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers–– meaning we have a bit more intel around who might be trending to play in Week 9, along with who could be stuck on the sidelines.

Here's a look at the latest on the injury front for the Texans ahead of their next matchup facing the Chargers in Week 9:

Houston Texans Injury Report (as of 11/5)

FULL

LB Azeez Al-Shaair (groin)

S Jalen Pitre (shoulder)

TE Brevin Jordan (finger/foot)

OT Braden Smith (ankle)

OT Blake Fisher (thumb)

LIMITED

N/A

DNP

S Reed Blankenship (concussion/hand)

RB David Montgomery (groin)

What Stands Out for Houston

Jalen Pitre, Azeez Al-Shaair Become Full Participants

Two key starting pieces on the Texans' defense appear to be good to go heading into the weekend: that's Pro Bowl linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair and star nickel Jalen Pitre.

Al-Shaair has been working his way back from a lingering groin injury that kept him out for Week 4's game against the Dallas Cowboys. Now, after continuing to get back to 100% from said groin issue, it seems like he's all set to play on Sunday.

As for Pitre, his return to the lineup is due for a bit more attention. Pitre has been sidelined for the Texans since suffering an AC joint sprain in his shoulder against the Tennessee Titans in Week 5.

That injury inevitably led to Pitre missing Weeks 6 and 7, where the Texans managed to go 1-1, but did face some ups and downs in the secondary.

Now that Pitre is preparing to fill back into his rightful spot as Houston's starting nickel, his presence certainly adds another layer of versatility for this talented defense that's been struggling as of late.

David Montgomery Remains Out for Sunday

Head coach DeMeco Ryans made it clear on Wednesday that David Montgomery will be missing his third-straight game this weekend against the Los Angeles Chargers. And on Thursday, he logged his second DNP of the week.

Expect to see Woody Marks as the bellcow back in the Texans' run game, perhaps with some Dare Ogunbowale and newly-signed Emari Demercado sprinkled in alongside him.

Through the past three games that Marks has claimed the Texans' lead back role, he's averaged over 16 rushing attempts per game for 3.8 yards per carry, while remaining on the offensive side of the ball for over 83% of the total snaps.

Reed Blankenship at Risk of Second-Straight Absence

Another starter who's been missing time for the Texans–– but on the defensive side of the ball–– is safety Reed Blankenship, who's missed his fifth-straight practice as a DNP, and is trending towards being out against Los Angeles for Week 9.

If Blankenship was just dealing with concussion protocol, there's a chance that if he is able to practice in limited capacity on Friday and clear protocol within 24 hours. But Blankenship is also dealing with a hand issue that might be making his return to play more complicated.

As to who you should expect to fill the Texans' safety spot opposite of Calen Bullock, it'll most likely be veteran M.J. Stewart, who filled that role in Week 7 against the New York Giants. Stewart led the Texans' defense in total tackles that game with 12.