Saquon Barkley injury: Giants offer no new information on star running back

Coach Brian Daboll ‘hopeful’ Barkley can play Thursday vs. 49ers

Saquon Barkley was “still getting evaluated” for the extent of his ankle injury on Monday afternoon, leaving his status in limbo as Barkley and the New York Giants prepare to face the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday Night Football.

There was a report Sunday night that Barkley may have avoided a severe ankle injury. Daboll, though, did not want to comment on the severity of Barkley’s injury.

“I don’t have the update on it because he’s still being evaluated,” Daboll said. “I’m hopeful having talked to him this morning before he went to get further tests, but I don’t want to speculate until I have the full information.”

What if Barkley cannot play on Thursday?

“Whatever it is we’ll have a plan ready to go,” Daboll said. “If he can play, he can play and if he can’t then we’ll have the other guys prepared and ready to go.”

Those “other guys” would be Matt Breida, Eric Gray and Gary Brightwell. Breida, two snaps with one carry, was the only other running back to play on offense Sunday.

Daboll is taking a wait-and-see attitude with all of the Giants’ injured players, largely because the Giants will conduct only walk-thru practices this week in preparation for Thursday’s game.

Aside from Barkley, the major concerns are left tackle Andrew Thomas (hamstring) and left guard Ben Bredeson (concussion protocol).

“All of them we will kind of take right up to game time and see where we’re at,” Daboll said.