Kyle Shanahan gets some good news on the injury front as 49ers continue preparations for Vikings

The San Francisco 49ers were able to celebrate some positive injury news on Thursday.

While there remains uncertainty as to whether Christian McCaffrey will play in their Week 2 matchup with the Minnesota Vikings, two players on the other side of the ball took big steps towards playing in that contest.

Yetur Gross-Matos (knee) and Dee Winters (ankle) both returned to practice in a limited capacity having missed the season opener through injury.

Winters would appear unlikely to move into a starting role on his return, with Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles registering an interception from the SAM linebacker spot, one for which Winters seemed set to contend before the injury, in the 49ers' season-opening win over the New York Jets.

Gross-Matos, however, is set to play a valuable role as part of the 49ers' defensive line rotation. San Francisco is keen to harness his athletic traits and will likely use the former Carolina Panther as both an edge rusher and an interior pass rusher.

McCaffrey was again limited in practice as he was on Wednesday and throughout last week's practices. The reigning Offensive Player of the Year is dealing with a calf injury and Achilles tendinitis.

Despite his insistence he is preparing to play, McCaffrey is reportedly viewed as a 'long shot' to play in Week 2, with Jordan Mason's 147-yard performance in the Monday Night Football victory over the Jets perhaps limiting the need for the reigning rushing champion to hurry back.

49ers-Vikings injury reports

The 49ers aren't the only team in this game who could be without an offensive star.

Minnesota wide receiver Jordan Addison missed practice for the second successive day with an ankle injury, increasing the likelihood of him not being available.

That would be a considerable boost for the 49ers considering Addison had 123 receiving yards and two touchdowns against them last year. Jalen Nailor, who was again a full participant, would likely help fill the void for Minnesota, but the 49ers would be relieved to remove Addison from the equation given they already have Justin Jefferson to think about.

A positive for the Vikings comes in the form of Andrew Van Ginkel returning to practice having missed the season opener with a Lisfranc injury.

However, A to Z Sports' Vikings beat writer Tyler Forness conceded the additions of safety Harrison Smith and tackle Brian O'Neill to the injury report could be a cause for concern. Smith did not practice because of a hip issue.

Forness wrote: "Wide receiver Jordan Addison isn't a surprise to be a DNP, but it was a surprise to see safety Harrison Smith on there. Neither he nor right tackle Brian O'Neill, who was limited, had been mentioned to have an injury before. This could be normal bumps and bruises but both are worth keeping an eye on."

As an intriguing matchup nears, both 49ers and Vikings fans will be close attention to some big names on the injury report.

Related: 49ers' first divisional game of the season looking significantly less challenging after news around key rivals