Allen Expected to Start Against 49ers Tonight : Raiders: Running back reluctant to talk about his contract dispute.

After being held out of the Raiders’ 17-10 exhibition loss to the New Orleans Saints in London last Sunday, tailback Marcus Allen is expected to start tonight’s exhibition game against the 49ers at San Francisco’s Candlestick Park (6 p.m., Channel 2).

“If you go back and look at Marcus’ history with this team, you’ll see that he’s very seldom played more than a series or two during the exhibition season,” Raider Coach Art Shell said. “He just got into camp and we don’t believe in rushing people. The easiest thing to do is to rush people.”

Was Allen, who has requested a trade, angry that he was held out of last Sunday’s game?

“You guys ask me all these questions,” Allen said. “You guys never understand. I’m in a situation that no one else is in. It doesn’t do me any good to speak. All it does it hurt me. I’d love to talk to you. I’d love to go on and and tell you every detail.

“My situation is negative as it is. I don’t want to make it any worse than it is because I’ve got to deal with it.”

Allen said he has grown during his contract dispute with Raider owner Al Davis.

“You try to rationalize the situation and look at it for what it is,” Allen said. “But what it does is make you angry. That’s what you have to control more than anything else.”

Allen ended his holdout two weeks ago and says he probably will benefit from being in training camp for the first time in two seasons.

“I don’t think any athlete wants to hold out,” Allen said. “First of all, you come in with a chip on your shoulder because you haven’t gotten anything resolved, and secondly it’s really tough to work out for the entire training camp by yourself because you tend to relax. It really doesn’t benefit anyone, although you must do what you must do.”

Sidelined by an ankle sprain last season, Allen says he’s fit.

“I feel great,” he said. “I feel like a rookie. So I’m excited. I feel more competitive now. The last couple years I didn’t.”

Allen’s return could spark a Raider offense that failed to score a touchdown against the Saints.

Does the Raiders’ offense worry Shell?

“Sure I was concerned,” Shell said. “You’re always concerned when you don’t score. But we feel that it was things we did to ourselves. We just didn’t execute properly.”

Whereas the Raider offense struggled, the 49er offense hopes to pick up where it left off last season in winning its second consecutive Super Bowl.

Joe Montana, who agreed to a $13-million, four-year contract Thursday, is expected to play one quarter, with Steve Young and Steve Bono expected to share time the rest of the game.

Montana and company may have an easy time against a Raider secondary that has been depleted by injuries.

Cornerback Terry McDaniel is out with a hamstring pull and cornerback Dennis Price is sidelined with a shoulder injury.

“It hurts because you need corners in this league,” Shell said. “Hopefully Terry will be back in the next couple of weeks and hopefully a miracle will happen and Dennis will be back too.”

As a result of the injuries, the Raiders’ inexperienced cornerbacks--Ron Brown, Torin Dorin and Garry Lewis--are expected to see a lot of work.

“Those guys will get an opportunity to see a machine in action,” Shell said. “It’ll be a good experience for them.”

Lewis, a rookie from Alcorn State, looks forward to the challenge.

“I guess I’m lucky,” he said. “I hope I do well. It’s just going to be a great experience for me.”

Is Lewis nervous about facing Montana and the potent 49er offense?

“No, no,” Lewis said. “They’re human and I’m human. I’m not going out there being nervous. I’m going to concentrate on my responsibility the best I can.”

Raider Notes

Raider quarterback Jay Schroeder is expected to play the first half, with Vince Evans and rookie Jeff Francis playing the second. . . . The 49er offensive line has been depleted by the holdouts of center Jesse Sapolu and guard Guy McIntyre, both starters last season. To make matters worse, center Wayne Radloff, expected to move into the starting lineup after signing with the 49ers as a Plan B free agent, has been hampered by injuries. And center Chuck Thomas is questionable with a knee injury. Harris Barton, who started at right tackle the last three years, was moved to center this week, but backup center Dean Caliguire, a rookie from Pittsburgh, is out with a broken foot.

What kind of reception does Raider Coach Art Shell expect from Bay Area fans tonight? “I think the 49er fans are going to boo us to death,” Shell said. “But we’ve got a lot of fans up there, too.” . . . 49er running back Roger Craig reported to camp in the best shape of his career. After losing 19 pounds, Craig is down to 205 pounds.