2 injured 49ers stars return to practice ahead of Week 5

The San Francisco 49ers had a good sign on the injury front to start Friday’s practice.

Tight end George Kittle and linebacker Fred Warner were both spotted on the field according to reporters on site at the SAP Performance Center. Kittle is dealing with a rib injury. Warner has an ankle issue. Both players were absent from Wednesday and Thursday’s practices.

It’s unclear how much of practice they’ll be able to take part in. A limited session for Friday’s walk-through wouldn’t bode well for their chances to go in Sunday’s game against the Arizona Cardinals. If both are full participants they’d likely be good to suit up against their NFC West rival.

Warner this season has been one of the best defensive players in football. He has 27 tackles, a league-high three forced fumbles, 1.0 sacks, four pass breakups and two interceptions with one returned for a touchdown.

Kittle hasn’t generated a ton of explosive plays, but his numbers are still strong. Despite missing Week 3 with a hamstring injury, he has 15 receptions for 161 yards and two touchdowns on 17 targets.

The 49ers and Cardinals are slated to kick off at 1:05pm Pacific Time from Levi’s Stadium.