Will Fred Warner play against the Seahawks in the Divisional playoffs? 49ers LB’s injury status

Fred Warner is staging a speedy recovery from the serious injury he suffered three months ago, but the San Francisco 49ers linebacker won’t make it back in time for Saturday’s Divisional Round clash against the Seattle Seahawks.

Warner has been on the 49ers’ injured reserve list (IR) since sustaining a dislocated and broken ankle in the team’s Week 6 defeat to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in mid-October. In the wake of the horror injury, the 29-year-old was expected to miss the rest of the season.

However, San Francisco opened the four-time Pro Bowler’s practice window on Tuesday - and the following day, ESPN reported that Warner was not ruling out returning to action in this weekend’s playoff clash in Seattle.

But San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan has since confirmed that the Divisional Round will come too early for Warner, who was a limited participant on Tuesday and Wednesday, before sitting out practice on Thursday.

Warner looks “good” but out against Seattle

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Shanahan said Warner had not suffered a setback in his recovery, insisting that the linebacker has “looked good”.

The head coach also lauded the veteran’s influence on his teammates - “I love having Fred around” - and was optimistic he could return in a potential NFC Championship Game. “Yes, I do feel confident in that,” Shanahan said. “We’ll see if it works out.”

Shanahan also confirmed that safety Ji’Ayir Brown has been ruled out of the Seahawks clash by a hamstring injury.

49ers injury report for the Divisional Round:

• Out: Ji’Ayir Brown (hamstring), Fred Warner (ankle)
• Questionable: Jacob Cowing (hamstring), Luke Gifford (quadricep), Ricky Pearsall (knee), Dee Winters (ankle)

49ers vs Seahawks: how to watch in the U.S.

The 49ers visit the Seahawks on Saturday, Jan. 17, with kickoff at Lumen Field scheduled for 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT. In the U.S., the game will air nationally on Fox. Your streaming options include fubo, which offers new users a free, introductory trial.

Although the franchise won the last of its five Super Bowl titles back in 1994, the No. 6-seeded 49ers are chasing their fourth appearance in the NFC Championship Game in the last five years. The top-seeded Seahawks, meanwhile, are bidding to reach the conference title decider for the first time since 2014.

The winners of San Francisco vs Seattle will face either the No. 2-seeded Chicago Bears or the No. 5-seeded Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship Game on Sunday, Jan. 25.

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