North Carolina is expected to be without top defender Melkart Abou Jaoude for Saturday's game at Clemson, sources told ESPN's Pete Thamel.
Abou Jaoude, who was listed as questionable, suffered a hand/wrist injury in North Carolina's opener against TCU, when he had four tackles and a sack. He did not play in last week's game against East Tennessee State and was on the sideline with a cast on his left hand and arm.
Coach Bill Belichick said after last week's game that Abou Jaoude was "day-to-day" and "nobody's working harder than he is to get back."
Abou Jaoude led the ACC in sacks per game last season, finishing with 10½, while also compiling 47 tackles as he made second-team All-ACC.