Foster expected to be ready for 49ers' season finale

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Linebacker Reuben Foster will be limited this week in practice but is expected to be available for the 49ers’ season finale on Sunday against the NFC West-champion Los Angeles Rams.

Foster has sustained shoulder stingers in each of the past two weeks. He underwent shoulder surgery shortly after playing his final game at Alabama, and there was some reports of NFL teams removing him from their draft boards due to concerns about the effectiveness of the surgery.

But 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said on Tuesday that his current issues have nothing to do with he surgery.

"It's two completely different things," Shanahan said. "He tore a rotator cuff in college, and these are just stingers he's gotten on his shoulders.”

Foster sat out the last several drives of the 49ers’ 44-33 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday. He is usually on the field for every snap, but he played just 59 of the team’s 90 defensive plays.

Safety Adrian Colbert is also expected to be limited during the week of practice with a shoulder sprain. Shanahan said he expects Colbert to be ready to play on Sunday, too.

Shanahan said the team will look at the possibility of addressing adjustments to the hard-hitting styles of Foster and Colbert. Both players incurred repeated injuries as rookies.

“It's something we definitely have to look into, especially the amount that it’s happened to both of them," Shanahan said. "That's one of the things that makes them best, how hard that they do hit. But, I think we’re going to have to look into it a lot this season, based off techniques and things like that, if we could not lose what they do so great, but also put them in a better position to stay healthy.”

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