Wide receiver Deebo Samuel has been cleared to return to action for the 49ers’ Week 18 game Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals.
Coach Kyle Shanahan said Samuel and running backs Christian McCaffrey and Elijah Mitchell will play in the team’s season finale with the playoffs looming next week.
"They’ll be up,” Shanahan said Friday. “They’ll be playing.”
Samuel has been out since being carted off the field on Dec. 11 with knee and ankle injuries against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He returned to limited practice last week.
McCaffrey did not practice Wednesday or Thursday due to irritation in his knee and ankle. He was not even listed on the team's injury report.
Also, the 49ers will activate Mitchell (knee) from injured reserve on Saturday to be available to play Sunday, Shanahan said. Mitchell is the eighth and final player the 49ers can activate from IR this season.
The team ruled out five players from being available for Sunday’s game: quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, linebacker Dre Greenlaw, guard Aaron Banks, defensive lineman Kevin Givens and cornerback Ambry Thomas.
The 49ers are keeping open the possibility that Garoppolo could be available to suit up for a game if the team advances deep into the postseason. Garoppolo remains on the 53-man roster.
Defensive linemen Arik Armstead and Javon Kinlaw are listed as questionable for Sunday's game.
The 49ers (12-4) take a nine-game win streak into the regular-season finale against the Cardinals. The 49ers, winners of the NFC West, still have a chance at the No. 1 seed with a victory coupled with a Philadelphia Eagles loss to the New York Giants.
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The 49ers are assured of holding onto the No. 2 seed with a victory. But they would fall to the third seed with a loss and a Minnesota Vikings win over the Chicago Bears.
The NFL playoffs begin next week, Jan. 14-16, with two games on Saturday, three on Sunday and one on Monday night.