RENTON, Wash. — The Seattle Seahawks expect to have linebackers Bobby Wagner and Mychal Kendricks available for Sunday’s home opener against the Dallas Cowboys, coach Pete Carroll said.

Wagner, Seattle’s All-Pro middle linebacker, is practicing Wednesday after missing the team’s Monday night loss to the Chicago Bears with a groin injury. K.J. Wright, who has missed the first two games following arthroscopic knee surgery, is not practicing.

Kendricks is appealing an NFL suspension that was handed down for his involvement in insider trading. He pleaded guilty to charges two weeks ago and was signed by Seattle (0-2) last Friday as a reinforcement with Wagner and Wright injured.

The NFL typically informs teams early in the week if a player is going to be suspended.

“He’s playing this week,” Carroll said of Kendricks. “That’s what I know.”

Asked if he expects Kendricks to be suspended soon, Carroll said: “I don’t know. I don’t know what to tell you on that one. Really, we haven’t been in a back-and-forth conversation about that yet.”

Center Justin Britt’s status is uncertain due to what Carroll called a sore shoulder that he suffered late in the Bears game while diving for a loose ball. Carroll was hopeful that right guard D.J. Fluker (hamstring) and cornerback Tre Flowers (hamstring) will be available against Dallas (1-1).

He had no update on when receiver Doug Baldwin might be back from the MCL injury that kept him out Monday night and the second half of the opener in Denver.

“Doug had a good weekend,” Carroll said. “He’s real positive about it, but there’s nothing to say about when he’s returning at this point.”

Kendricks started at weakside linebacker for Wright on Monday night and finished with three tackles, a sack and a pass breakup in Seattle’s 24-17 loss. He played 54 of 66 defensive snaps as the Seahawks spelled him on occasion with a three-safety look given that he had so little time — only practicing twice with the team last week — to learn their defense.

“He did a really nice job,” Carroll said. “He missed one huge opportunity on the sideline when he went for an interception on the flat route, but other than that he did a good job. He blitzed well, he covered well, he ran to the football well. Coming brand new into our game [last week], he did a great job. I was really pleased.”

Asked if the Seahawks feel a sense of urgency heading into Sunday’s game at CenturyLink Field, Carroll said “heck yeah,” but added that they feel that way every week.

“It’s obvious that we need to get kick-started,” Carroll said, “and this is the best place to do that.”

Little did Real Madrid know they’d signed Cristiano Ronaldo’s replacement long before he decided to leave. But they had the perfect man. It was finally time for Gareth Bale to step out of the shadows and become the attraction.

There was no reason to indulge in the escalating auction that’s become the transfer market after Ronaldo’s departure. Bale was raring to go. Playing time had been so difficult to earn in his first five years at the Santiago Bernabeu – both injuries and a star-studded squad conspired against him – and his future was never settled. No number of big goals, not even three in European finals, could guarantee a consistent run in the side.

After winning a fourth Champions League in five years, Bale let his frustrations – which he had harnessed so well – seep through. “I need to be playing week in, week out and that hasn’t happened this season for one reason or another,” he said in May, almost challenging the hierarchy to do the right thing.

He’s finally earned the respect he deserves now that Ronaldo’s gone.

Bale’s playing some of his best football since joining the club in 2013, scoring eight goals in his last eight La Liga matches, and then again Wednesday in the Champions League. Karim Benzema is now the one teaming up with Bale on the right, and Luka Modric is finding the Welshman with more regularity.

There’s an organic chemistry here that would take months, even years, to establish with any other summer signing. Bale has the directness to punish opponents on the counter and the tactical awareness to stay wide and stretch defenders.

Julen Lopetegui praised Bale’s attitude and professionalism in August, two things no one could ever hold against him, especially after all the benchings and waiting games. The decision was made early in the post-Ronaldo era to make Bale the standard-bearer of this new-look Madrid.

“We have player who is a super professional player in all aspects, who is training with the motivation of a youth player and who is helping us enormously,” Lopetegui told Marca.

Bale has answered in kind.

He created five chances in the first half of Wednesday’s 3-0 win over Roma, and made no mistake with his effort on the break in the second. He was efficient whenever he had the ball, popping up on both flanks to help out and deliver balls into the area.

There was never any question Bale could perform at a high level, but whether he would ever get his chance was a real and valid concern. Injuries had played a part in all the upheaval – Marca estimated last November that Bale had missed one in three matches with various ankle and muscular problems – but some of the omissions were unrelated to fitness. ESPN and Guardian correspondent Sid Lowe categorized Bale’s relationship with Zidane as “virtually non-existent,” which would help explain why he was held out of the squad even when he was healthy.

Communicating with Lopetegui is much easier, not least because he can converse with Bale in English. The most important thing is that an understanding is growing. Lopetegui knows full-well Bale is the most talented player in his squad and he’s using him as such.

That trust has liberated the 29-year-old and encouraged him to do more. Measured per 90 minutes, Bale’s increased his shooting volume by 15 percent compared to last season. He clearly feels more empowered in the most dangerous situations – and that’s a good thing for Los Blancos.