49ers vs. Saints injury report: Alex Smith, secondary limited on Wednesday

The 49ers released their first injury report of the week leading up to their Week 12 matchup with the Saints, and there is a mix of expected and unexpected news. Alex Smith, as expected, was limited in practice today. He was spotted with the black no-contact jersey in the morning, so this is not surprising. Additionally, Chris Culliver, who was limited all last week, is also listed as limited for Wednesday.

Where it gets a little more interesting is that the limited list includes Dashon Goldson and Tarell Brown. Goldson is listed with ribs and calf issues, while Brown is listed with knee issues. Given that Culliver was a go last week, I would not expect significant issues from this, but it is still noteworthy.

As the season wears on, I would not be surprised to see some of the veterans getting more limited and DNPs during the week. Even though the 49ers had their bye relatively recently, the grind is still something to deal with and work around the deeper the season goes on. Add in the 49ers looking to play into early February, and they will want to be smart with how they work their players.

The most notable name for the Saints is running back Darren Sproles, who has been dealing with a fractured hand. He was expected to play last week against the Raiders, but was a last minute scratch. It sounds like he should be good to go this week, but like last week, we will likely end up waiting until the last minute for final confirmation.

Here are the full reports for Wednesday:

49ers
Limited participation: CB Tarell Brown (knee), CB Chris Culliver (shoulder), S Dashon Goldson (ribs, calf), QB Alex Smith (concussion)

Full participation: LB Tavares Gooden (shin), RB Frank Gore (wrist, ribs), WR Randy Moss (finger), LB Aldon Smith (shoulder), S C.J. Spillman (finger), DT Will Tukuafu (wrist, wrist), LB Patrick Willis (shoulder)

Saints
Did not participate: T Charles Brown (knee), DE Junior Galette (ankle), CB Elbert Mack (concussion), CB Corey White (knee)

Limited participation: T Zach Strief (groin)

Full participation: RB Darren Sproles (hand)