EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- Minnesota Vikings quarterback Daunte Culpepper will have arthroscopic surgery Thursday to repair his sprained left knee.

	Culpepper

Culpepper hurt his knee Nov. 25 against Chicago and started the following week against Pittsburgh but couldn't finish. His condition worsened the next week in practice, and Todd Bouman played in his place the last two games.

The average recovery time from the surgery is two or three weeks, but the Vikings haven't ruled out his return for the regular season finale -- Jan. 7 at Baltimore.

Bouman has a sprained ligament in the thumb on his passing hand and is listed as probable on the injury report. He took it easy in practice Wednesday, and coach Dennis Green sounded more optimistic about Bouman starting Sunday against Jacksonville than Bouman did.

Green said Bouman would go full speed Thursday and Friday.

"The thumb is doing a lot better," Green said. "I think he'll be effective."

Trainer Chuck Barta said Bouman's swelling had gone down but that he would probably have to play with some soreness on Sunday.

Said Bouman: "It's just kind of a day-to-day thing. You just don't know. It depends on how it reacts. It's frustrating because I finally got an opportunity to play. I've waited for awhile."

Spergon Wynn, acquired in September from Cleveland, is next in line in the unlikely case Bouman is unable to play this weekend.