Tackle Luke Petitgout missed his fifth straight full squad practice Friday, raising speculation about a recurring back injury that plagued him with the Giants.

  Petitgout has been receiving treatment for a back strain but coach Jon Gruden expectrs him to return to practice Saturday.

   Petitgout did some conditioning drills at the end of practice in shorts but didn't start from a three-point stance like the rest of the offensive linemen. He declined to comment on the reason he has not practiced.

   But offensive line coach Bill Muir indicated it was all part of the plan to keep Petitgout healthy for the start of the regular season.

   ""It doesn't bother me. Read my lipes: does not bother me, allright?'' Muir said. ""It does not affect the continuity of the line.

   ""He'll play when it's time to play. Listen, he's a nine-year veteran in the league. I had a fellow who was a Pro Bowl tackle with the New York Jets named Jumbo Elliott. What you're trying to do is get your good players to the game. You guys want to see him out here. You're not going to see him out here everyday. You'll see him enough that he'll be ready.'''

   ""It was well-investigated by our scouting department. Obviously, we have a lot of guys on the staff that have connections around the league. It was well-investigated.''

   end.