Minnesota Vikings and San Francisco 49ers are dealing with significant injuries to their lineup ahead of their game. Star running back Christian McCaffrey will be active for the 49ers despite his oblique injury, but they will be without wide receiver Deebo Samuel and left tackle Trent Williams. The Vikings, on the other hand, will have cornerback Akayleb Evans playing through an oblique strain that has limited him in practices.
Evans has been dealing with oblique and knee injuries in recent weeks, with the most recent injury occurring during last week’s victory against the Bears. Despite this, he will start his seventh consecutive game against the potent San Francisco offense.
Unfortunately for the Vikings, left guard Ezra Cleveland will not be available due to a midfoot sprain he suffered in the fourth quarter of the Bears game. Dalton Risner will make his first start for the Vikings as a replacement.
On the positive side, the Vikings have added receiver Trishton Jackson and outside linebacker Luiji Vilain from the practice squad for the game. However, receiver Jalen Nailor will not be playing due to a hamstring injury that has landed him on the injured reserve.
Meanwhile, safety Lewis Cine, a first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, remains sidelined for the second consecutive week as a healthy scratch. He has not played since suffering a hamstring strain in their loss to the Chargers on September 24.
For the 49ers, the absence of Deebo Samuel and Trent Williams will test their offensive capabilities. However, they will have Christian McCaffrey and linebacker Dre Greenlaw available, despite being listed as questionable.
Inactives for the Vikings include Cleveland, Cine, OLB Andre Carter II, CB NaJee Thompson, TE Nick Muse, and OL Hakeem Adeniji. The 49ers’ inactives consist of Williams, Samuel, DL Kalia Davis, QB Brandon Allen, TE Brayden Willis, RB Tyrion Davis-Price, and LB Jalen Graham.
Both teams have been hit hard by injuries, and the depth of their rosters will be tested. It remains to be seen how these absences will affect the outcome of the game and the overall performance of each team. The matchup between the Vikings and the 49ers promises to be an intriguing one.
