© Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

SANTA CLARA – There are just a few 49ers who will not play in the team’s first preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday night. The 49ers confirmed several players would not play in the first game much earlier in the week, but added plenty of names to that list of “anticipated will not play” (almost certain not to play) more than an hour before kickoff.

There are effectively two categories which players ruled out fall into. The first is players who are injured or recovering from injury. The second group is veteran players, who, while maybe not mentioned as not playing, are understandably sidelined for the first preseason game as load management.

Injured, or recovering from injury were expected not to play

Kwon Alexander, who would likely be on the second list if he wasn’t already recovering from an ACL tear
Arik Armstead, who could be listed on either list, but has dealt with a calf injury
Ronald Blair III, who was dealing with a groin injury and sidelined for the last few practices
Nick Bosa, dealing with a severe sprained ankle, out for the preseason
Dee Ford, with knee tendinitis (unlikely to play in the preseason, although that has not been stated explicitly)
Joshua Garnett, recovering from finger surgery
Jerick McKinnon, who received a plasma-rich platelet injection after severe soreness after returning to practice following a “flare-up” in his knee
Malcolm Smith, dealing with hamstring tightness over the last week and has not participated in practices
Jason Verrett, on the same no-preseason timeline as Bosa with an ankle sprain sustained the same day
Jimmie Ward, still recovering from a broken collarbone, has not participated in anything besides walkthroughs to this point
K’Waun Williams, who won’t play in the preseason after having his knee scoped
Jeff Wilson Jr., dealing with a serious calf issue that’s kept him out of practice since near the start of camp
UPDATE: Trent Taylor broke his pinky toe and had screws inserted on Friday, and is expected back some time at the start of the year

Veterans, unsurprising to be ruled out

Matt Breida, DeForest Buckner, Tevin Coleman, Ben Garland, Jimmy Garoppolo, Marquise Goodwin, Kyle Juszczyk, George Kittle, Mike McGlinchey, Mike Person, Richard Sherman, Joe Staley, Jaquiski Tartt, Laken Tomlinson, Fred Warner

That list of 28 players does not include the 49ers’ physically unable to perform list, which includes center Weston Richburg (will be reevaluated for a potential Week 1 return after knee and quadriceps surgery) and tight end Garrett Celek, who won’t return at least until Week 6 (back surgery)