The 49ers head into final preseason week with several players hurt but expected back soon

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The San Francisco 49ers held their final practice before their exhibition finale with nearly two dozen injured players missing but remain hopeful that most will be able to return to practice next week before the team departs for Australia for the season opener.

The 49ers finish the preseason on Thursday night in Las Vegas against the Raiders and then will take three days off. They will return to practice on Monday, the day after rosters are cut from 90 players to 53, and have three sessions before leaving for Australia late on Sept. 2. San Francisco opens the season on Sept. 11 in Melbourne against the Los Angeles Rams.

Coach Kyle Shanahan said Tuesday that he's hoping star defensive end Nick Bosa will be back at practice next week. Bosa went down with a season-ending knee injury in Week 3 last season and began training camp doing only individual drills. He was shut down in early August because of soreness and tendinitis in his surgically repaired right knee.

“He’s doing good,” Shanahan said. “I’m hoping that he can get into practice next week.”

Receiver Mike Evans (groin), cornerback Upton Stout (hip flexor) and receiver/returner Jacob Cowing (groin) also are expected back next week.

The main position battle remaining is at left guard where the team has been looking for someone to seize the starting spot all summer. Rookie Carver Willis and second-year player Connor Colby are both expected to play against the Raiders while most of the team's starters get the night off. Veterans Robert Jones (calf) and Austen Pleasants (knee) could be back at practice next week as all four remain in the mix for the spot.

“It’s close to being decided, and it needs to be close,” Shanahan said.

Right guard Dominick Puni was sidelined once again after being put back in the concussion protocol. Puni returned to practice over the weekend after missing time last week but developed more symptoms and went back in the protocol.

Quarterback Kurtis Rourke had an impressive debut in the exhibition opener against Tennessee before leaving the game with three broken ribs. Shanahan said he could be ready to return to practice next week.

Shanahan said there a handful of players who could be candidates to start the season on injured reserve, which would require them to miss at least the first four games.

Receiver Christian Kirk has not practiced since injuring his calf in the first practice of training camp and is among the key players who might not be ready the first month. Other players in that situation include swing tackle Vederian Lowe (ankle), cornerback Nate Hobbs (groin), offensive lineman Brett Toth (concussion) and linebacker Nick Martin (hamstring).

The Niners can designate two players at roster cutdown day to go on IR with the ability to return after four weeks. Teams have eight of those designations for the regular season and two more in the playoffs. They can also keep players on the initial 53-man roster and then put them on IR, giving the team more time to decide whether to use the return designations.

Roster cutdown day is two days earlier than usual this season because the 49ers and Rams are opening the season in Australia.

“It just makes it a little bit harder to guess where those guys are going to be at," Shanahan said. “How good are they going to be Week 1? How good are they going to be Week 2? Those are things we’ve got to balance out. But when you know they’re going to be healthy within those first four weeks, then it’s not as complicated. It’s frustrating because you’d like them to be there right away, but if they’re not going to be healthy after four weeks, then you can decide.”

Defensive end Mykel Williams (knee) and running back Isaac Guerendo (pectoral) are on the physically unable to perform list and could remain there for the first four weeks of the season. A new rule this season allows two players who begin the season on the PUP list to start their practice window after two weeks, allowing them to get some practice in before the four-week period is up.

See AP’s full NFL coverage here