23 October 2023 , 11:55
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The San Francisco 49ers are set to lose two of their key players through injury, providing the team with a serious roadblock in their quest for the Super Bowl.
Week 7 of the 2023 NFL regular season sees the Niners go on the road to face the Minnesota Vikings in ‘Monday Night Football’. Both teams go into the game at U.S. Bank Stadium with contrasting records from the first weeks of the season.
The Niners are 5-1 and lead the NFC West, and will be looking for their sixth victory of the year. The Vikings are 2-4 and have a chance to move up in the NFC North division after losses by the Green Bay Packers and the Detroit Lions.
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However, the Niners will be forced to be without at least one of their star players. Star wide receiver Deebo Samuel is set to miss the road game against the Vikings on Monday night.
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It was confirmed on Saturday that Samuel would be ruled out of the game against the Vikings with a shoulder injury. Samuel sustained the injury in the early stages of the Niners’ Week 6 loss to the Cleveland Browns on October 15 and has not taken part in practice.
Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed that, following a CT scan, Samuel sustained a hairline fracture in his shoulder. As a result, it means that not only is the fifth-year receiver out for the game against the Vikings but also the Week 8 contest against the Cincinnati Bengals next Sunday - he is not expected to return until Week 10, with the Niners in a bye week during Week 9.
"It's always different (without Samuel),” Shanahan told reporters, via the Niners team website. “What we did last week, we weren't sure of him throughout the week, so we had contingency plans.
"He's been banged up a few weeks before that too, so this will give him a chance to settle down, and hopefully, come back 100 percent (out of the Bye)."
Another player who could be on the sidelines is running back Christian McCaffrey. The 27-year-old was withdrawn in the fourth quarter of the loss to the Browns in Week 6 with an oblique injury.
It was confirmed that McCaffrey was listed as questionable for the game against the Vikings on Monday night. However, further reports in ESPN claimed that McCaffrey is in line to feature at U.S. Bank Stadium.
McCaffrey took limited part in practice on Friday and could make a recovery from his injury to be able to feature against the Vikings. It remains to be seen what decision the Niners will take over their star running back, who is vital to the team’s chances of winning the Super Bowl this season.