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Thursday is coordinator press conference day, which means we get to hear from Vic Fangio and Greg Roman. Fangio was asked about several injured players, and had a few modest updates.
The most notable injury on the defensive side of the ball is Eric Reid's concussion. Fangio said he thought the chances were good the team would have Reid available, but it would still be up to the concussion protocol. It sounds like he is symptom-free thus far, but he will need to remain so into the weekend. My guess is he will be listed as questionable in the final injury report, but even if he is listed as probable, it will still come down to how he is feeling leading up to the game.
Fangio also addressed Ray McDonald's situation. The 49ers defensive tackle suffered what he is describing as a high ankle sprain. He is in a walking boot, and was not all that optimistic on Wednesday. Fangio said his status remained iffy, and that while he has made a lot of progress the last few days, he remains iffy. If Fangio McDonald is unable to play on Sunday, Tony Jerod-Eddie and Demarcus Dobbs would split up the snaps. Fangio did not address Tank Carradine's status for the game.
Finally, Fangio discussed the potential playing time of Aldon Smith and Eric Wright. Fangio said Smith would see increased playing time, but wouldn't state whether or not Smith would get the start. Dan Skuta has been starting in his place, but he has been wearing a walking boot this week. The 49ers will be playing plenty of nickel and/or dime on Sunday, and if Skuta is limited, it means all the more Aldon.
In terms of Wright, Fangio confirmed he would basically fill Perrish Cox's previous role as the dime back and backup nickel back. This is not breaking news, but still worth noting.