Is Saquon Barkley playing this week? Latest Giants vs. 49ers injury update

Saquon Barkley had an up-and-down afternoon in the New York Giants' wild Week 2 comeback win over the Arizona Cardinals.

With his team already trailing 17-0 late in the second quarter, Barkley couldn't control a short pass from Daniel Jones, one that bounced off the two-time Pro Bowler and was intercepted by Arizona safety Jalen Thompson. The pick ultimately led to a 44-yard field goal by Matt Prater, which gave the Cardinals a 20-point lead heading into halftime.

But Barkley bounced back in the second half, recording both a rushing touchdown and a receiving touchdown to help New York to a 31-28 win, giving the Giants their biggest comeback victory since 1949.

Overall, Barkley rushed for 63 yards on 17 carries and caught six passes for 29 yards. But it wasn't all good news as the Penn State product exited Sunday's game with just over a minute to play in the fourth quarter, suffering a right ankle injury after taking a hit from Cardinals linebacker Krys Barnes.

Thankfully for Big Blue, the injury could've been much worse. So, exactly what is Saquon Barkley's status for the Giants' upcoming matchup with the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday Night Football?

Will Saquon Barkley play for the Giants against the 49ers on Thursday Night Football?

The good news for New York is that an MRI revealed Barkley did not suffer a high-ankle sprain, which is much worse than your average ankle sprain. And not only was he walking on it on Sunday night, but he had even less trouble doing so on Monday.

The bad news for the Giants is that this is a short week as they square off against the undefeated San Francisco 49ers on Thursday night, obviously giving Barkley less time to get ready.

Per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, the Giants are "optimistic about his overall outlook," which is why Brian Daboll wouldn't officially rule out No. 26 taking the field in Santa Clara when talking to the media on Tuesday.

However, Fowler says he's hearing that Barkley "likely won't play" Thursday night. Following their Week 3 clash with the Niners, the Giants don't play again for 11 days, next suiting up for the Week 4 edition of Monday Night Football on October 2 against the Seattle Seahawks. That seems like a much safer bet.

With Saquon Barkley out, Matt Brieda likely gets the start against San Francisco, with Gary Brightwell and Eric Gray in the backup spots.