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49ers Injuries: Trent Williams’ status uncertain, but hope for another return

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© Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

You can debate who the 49ers’ best or most valuable player is, but Trent Williams is always going to be in that discussion. The first-team AP All-Pro is coming off an outstanding season, in which he is expected to continue acquiring accolades, and was Pro Football Focus’ highest-graded player ever with a 98.2 grade in the regular season.

Williams finished Sunday’s game in serious angst, and was seen afterwards limping out of the 49ers’ locker room on crutches.

On Monday, Kyle Shanahan said Williams suffered an ankle sprain, but that his tests came back negative. He said he wasn’t sure whether Williams suffered a high or low ankle sprain and that it’s similar to last week’s situation with Jordan Willis.

Willis was initially believed to have suffered a high ankle sprain, but on Monday, Shanahan said that wasn’t totally accurate. It was related to old ankle injuries, which is why Shanahan believes the severity was less than a new, high ankle sprain and he was able to play.

For Williams, Shanahan expects a similar situation, in that it could be related to old injuries, which is why we don’t have much clarity at the moment. The 49ers will wait to see how his ankle reacts throughout the week. If it was a pure, high-ankle sprain, Shanahan said he would have been ruled out for Sunday’s game already.

“I’m not exactly sure on him,” Shanahan said. “We’ll have to manage him and see how this week goes.”

Deebo Samuel, meanwhile, hopped off the field on one leg against the Packers, but indicated afterwards that he’d suffered an early shoulder stinger and the late-game lower body injury wasn’t significant.

Shanahan seemed to corroborate that on Monday, saying that he took a helmet to the knee/leg on his last run and is sore, but is expected to practice this week, which means he’s very likely to play.

The only other injury was a low ankle sprain to Jeff Wilson Jr., who could have a chance to play Sunday.

The positive bit of news is that rookie corner Ambry Thomas, who missed out this week with a bone bruise to his knee, is expected to practice Wednesday and has a “much better chance” of playing.