SANTA CLARA – Linebacker Reuben Foster and safety Eric Reid are not expected to be available for the 49ers on Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals.
Foster has missed the past two games after sustaining a high ankle sprain in Week 1 against the Carolina Panthers. Reid sat out last week’s game against the Los Angeles Rams due to a knee injury.
This is the second week the 49ers’ medical staff has not required Foster to wear an orthopedic on his right foot. The initial prognosis was that Foster would be out four to six weeks. General manager John Lynch told NBC Sports Bay Area last week that the club would be extra-cautious in clearing him to return to action.
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Reid could miss a month of action with a partially torn posterior cruciate ligament. The injury does not require surgery.
Running back Carlos Hyde (hip) and three players who sustained concussions last week were limited in practice on Wednesday. Each player – safety Jaquiski Tartt, fullback Kyle Juszczyk and linebacker Brock Coyle – is on pace to play on Sunday after progressing through four of the five steps in the NFL’s return-to-play protocol.
Each of the players must remain symptom-free through full football activity to be cleared to return to game action.