Why isn’t Christian McCaffrey playing for the 49ers against the Patriots? When will he be back?

Christian McCaffrey remains unavailable to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 4 of the NFL season - and does not appear close to a return from injury. However, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan is hopeful the star running back can begin stepping up his rehabilitation after returning from treatment in Europe.

McCaffrey jets to Germany for specialist treatment

Speaking to reporters on Friday, as San Francisco finalised their preparations for this weekend’s regular-season clash with the New England Patriots, Shanahan said: “We’d like to start hitting his rehab here harder on Monday.”

As he deals with Achilles tendinitis, McCaffrey has missed all of the 49ers’ games so far in the 2024 season, and flew to Germany this week to visit a specialist.

“We needed to quiet it [the tendinitis] down,” 49ers general manager John Lynch told KNBR on Thursday, adding: “Now he’s back here and we’ll have to hit certain markers and try the ramp up. God willing the thing has quieted down and we can build him up in a smart thoughtful way.”

When will McCaffrey be back from injury?

McCaffrey is currently on the 49ers’ injured reserve list (IR), having been placed on the IR ahead of the team’s Week 2 defeat to the Minnesota Vikings in mid-September.

Under NFL rules, players must remain on the list for a minimum of four games, so the very earliest the 28-year-old could return to action is the 49ers’ Week 6 match-up with the Seattle Seahawks on October 10. However, McCaffrey appears very unlikely to regain full fitness in time to face the Seahawks.

On Thursday, Shanahan told KNBR he expected to get a clearer picture of McCaffrey’s exact recovery timeline “over the next couple of weeks”.

And, speaking on NFL Network show The Insider this midweek, the well-connected journalist Ian Rapoport said the indications are that the player has plenty of work to do before he can make his comeback: “It certainly seems like a matter of weeks [before he is back], rather than McCaffrey nearing a return.”

Who else is injured for the 49ers?

Questionable for Patriots game:

Jordan Elliott (foot), Talanoa Hufanga (ankle), Deebo Samuel (calf), Trent Williams (toe), Dee Winters (ankle).

Out of Patriots game:

Javon Hargrave (triceps), Curtis Robinson (ACL)

Patriots vs 49ers: start time, how to watch on TV/online

The San Francisco 49ers host the New England Patriots today, Sunday September 29, 2024, with kick-off at Levi’s Stadium scheduled for 4:05 p.m. ET/1:05 p.m. PT.

Viewers in the United States will be able to watch the Week 4 match-up on FOX. If you don’t have cable, you can stream FOX’s coverage on the online platform fubo, which offers a free trial.

Enjoy the Patriots vs the 49ers on fubo.

The 49ers head into the Patriots clash with a 1-2 record, after suffering back-to-back defeats to the Vikings and the Los Angeles Rams. The Californians began the 2024 campaign with victory over the New York Jets.

Meanwhile, New England are also 1-2. The Patriots opened up their season with a win over the Cincinnati Bengals, but have since lost to the Seahawks and the Jets.