The San Francisco 49ers got away from SoFi Stadium with a 26-23 win over the Los Angeles Rams, but it didn’t come without a handful of new injuries.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan on Friday spoke with reporters on a conference call to give an update on the group of players banged up in Thursday night’s game now that they’ve had a chance for further evaluation.
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Shanahan said rookie cornerback Upton Stout is dealing with an ankle sprain, but it isn’t a high ankle sprain and the club will evaluate him throughout the week leading up to the 49ers’ Week 6 matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The team also confirmed a broken hand for defensive tackle Kalia Davis who was having a breakout year with San Francisco. He missed the second half of Thursday night’s game and will have surgery Friday afternoon. Shanahan said the team is evaluating whether he’ll be able to play with a wrap on his hand, comparing it to rookie defensive tackle CJ West who missed Week 4 after suffering a broken thumb in Week 3. Defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos will also miss some time with a hamstring strain, although there was no timeline set for his potential return.
Shanahan did announce a new injury. Rookie defensive tackle Alfred Collins, who was one of the heroes of the 49ers’ Week 5 victory, suffered a knee sprain and his status for Week 6 is in question.
While the defense did suffer some injuries in Week 5, Shanahan did have good news on that side of the ball with safety Malik Mustapha likely getting his practice window opened Monday when the 49ers return to the field for a bonus practice. The club will have 21 days to either activate him or place him on season-ending IR once his window is opened. Mustapha damaged his ACL in the 2024 season finale and should be on track to return sometime between Weeks 6 and 8.
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None of the other players dealing with ACL injuries are expected to have their windows opened this week.
As for tight end George Kittle, he’s considered “a longshot for this week,” according to the head coach. Although he did express optimism that Kittle could return for Week 7 after suffering a hamstring strain in the season opener against the Seattle Seahawks.
San Francisco will get a few days off before returning to practice Monday for a bonus session where they’ll begin on-field preparations for a Week 6 showdown with the Buccaneers in Tampa Bay.
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This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 49ers injury news: George Kittle a long shot to return vs. Buccaneers