The Sports Xchange

EJ Manuel will start for the Buffalo Bills in London on Sunday.

Head coach Rex Ryan said Thursday that starting quarterback Tyrod Taylor is out because of a sprained left knee and the team’s top two wide receivers — Sammy Watkins and Percy Harvin — also won’t play. Harvin isn’t in London and Ryan categorized his absence as a personal matter having nothing to do with an ongoing hip injury.

Defensive tackle Kyle Williams was also ruled out by Ryan. Williams is nursing a left knee injury.

Taylor started the first five games of the season. He was injured Week 5 in a win over the Tennessee Titans. Taylor said Tuesday the injury has “progressed each and every day” but Ryan said he’s not close to being ready.

Manuel is 6-9 as a starter and was at the helm for last week’s 34-21 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.

“He still has some soreness in that knee. That means basically when you touch it and it’s still sore, that it hasn’t healed all the way,” Ryan said. “We’re not going force this young man out there, put him out there, when he’s really not 100 percent.”