Spending the first half of the season as a spectator while he worked his way back from Achilles tendinitis took its toll on San Francisco 49ers All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey.

McCaffrey described being in a “dark” place during his eight weeks on the sideline, dealing with both physical pain and the frustration over not being able to play. That is now in the past with McCaffrey set to make his season debut for San Francisco on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

“Sometimes you just take it for granted that you play this game for a living and it’s what you do, it’s what you train for,” McCaffrey said Friday. “But when it’s taken from you, even just for a little bit of time, it makes you really appreciate every single day when you’re on the grass.”

McCaffrey returned to practice on Monday and has made it through four days of work on the field without any setbacks, clearing the way for him to play. He is listed as questionable because he is still on injured reserve but is set to be activated Saturday.

“We’ll take him off IR tomorrow and then he’ll be good to go,” coach Kyle Shanahan said. “So unless something crazy happens on this plane ride, he should be good to go once he gets off IR.”

The injury news isn’t all positive for San Francisco with star defensive end Nick Bosa listed as questionable after injuring his hip in practice Wednesday. Shanahan said he’s concerned Bosa might not be able to play Sunday.

“He wasn’t able to do a lot (at practice). He was extremely limited,” Shanahan said. “Hoping he’ll be all right, but we’ll see on Sunday.”

San Francisco will also be without starting cornerback Charvarius Ward, who has been away from the team all week following the death last week of his 1-year-old daughter, Amani Joy. A memorial service was held Friday in Dallas and general manager John Lynch led a contingent of team officials there to support Ward.

[RELATED: 49ers’ Christian McCaffrey headlines 5 key additions for teams chasing playoffs]

McCaffrey has been dealing with Achilles tendinitis since early August. He missed almost all of training camp before returning to practice just before the season opener. He was scratched at the last minute before that game against the New York Jets on Sept. 9 and then had a setback at practice Sept. 12.

He was placed on injured reserve two days later and spent the past seven weeks resting and rehabilitating, including a trip to Germany for treatment that McCaffrey didn’t want to talk about Friday.

“I keep all that stuff private,” he said “When you’re on IR and hurt, you’ll do anything to come back. I feel good right now. That’s all that matters.”

The 49ers (4-4) are counting on McCaffrey’s return for a second-half boost. San Francisco has sputtered in the first half of the season with the offense scoring 3.9 fewer points per game than last season.

Jordan Mason has done a good job filling in for McCaffrey with 685 yards rushing in eight games, but the Niners have sorely missed the reigning AP Offensive Player of the Year in the red zone and in the passing game. San Francisco’s 26 catches by running backs are fourth lowest in the league after ranking in the top five when McCaffrey was available the past two seasons.

McCaffrey led the NFL last season with 2,023 yards from scrimmage and was tied for the league lead with 21 touchdowns as he helped lead San Francisco to the Super Bowl.

After missing 23 games because of injuries in his final two full seasons with Carolina, McCaffrey had been healthy the past two seasons.

He missed only one game combined in 2022-23 — a meaningless Week 18 game last season for San Francisco when he had a sore calf. His 798 combined touches from scrimmage in the regular season and playoffs were the third most for any player in a two-year span in the past 10 years.

But he has no concern about the injury going forward.

“I feel good now,” he said. “I wouldn’t be out here if it was still bothering me. I feel great.”

NOTES: DT Kevin Givens (groin) and WR Chris Conley (hamstring) will miss the game. … WR Deebo Samuel (rib, oblique), S Malik Mustapha (calf) and OL Jon Feliciano (knee) are all listed as questionable. … DL Yetur Gross-Matos (knee) won’t be activated off IR to play this week.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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Inter Miami practiced on Friday thinking there was no way Sergio Busquets was going to play in its win-or-else playoff match against Atlanta United.

A few hours later, the team got quite the surprise.

Busquets — who coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino said was ruled out for Saturday’s game — received medical clearance on Friday afternoon to play and is being listed as questionable. Busquets went through a training session on his own after the rest of the team worked out Friday, meaning Lionel Messi could have one of his most trusted teammates alongside him with the season on the line.

“We’re confident in the progression of his recovery, and are hopeful he’ll be available for (Saturday’s) match,” the team said.

Busquets was struck somewhere around his midsection in Game 1 of the best-of-three series and developed pneumonia-like symptoms. He didn’t play in Game 2 last week — a 2-1 Atlanta win — and Inter Miami has to win Saturday just to extend its season and reach the second round of the MLS Cup playoffs.

“At best, there are four finals left,” Martino said Friday morning, in the same interview session during which he revealed that Busquets wouldn’t play — because that’s what he truly thought at the time. “Each of the remaining games has the characteristics of a final game and we, with the expectations we have, are ready to face it in the best way.”

Inter Miami hopes to have four games left this season — Saturday’s conclusion to Round 1, and then a conference semifinal, conference final and the MLS Cup final. If Inter Miami keeps winning, all four of those matches would be at home. If it loses a match, the season ends there for the team that won the Supporters’ Shield and posted the best regular-season record in MLS history.

Atlanta has already won four elimination games this season — their two must-win matches to keep hope alive at the end of the regular season against the New York Red Bulls and Orlando City, then a wild-card match at Montreal and Game 2 of this series against Inter Miami.

The difference is that this one is an elimination match for Messi as well. And when asked this week about how Messi’s numbers haven’t been great in this series — no goals and one assist in the two matches — Atlanta interim coach Rob Valentino wanted no part of that storyline.

“Messi is fantastic,” Valentino said. “There is no slander on my end. He’s a fantastic player. Whether people say he’s produced, not produced, I don’t want to hear it because he’s fantastic.”

Atlanta is the only MLS team to beat Inter Miami twice this season, and both wins came with Messi in the lineup; the club is 2-1-1 so far this season against the No. 1 overall seed.

The rest of MLS, combined, went 0-12-5 against Inter Miami when Messi was in the lineup. But Atlanta’s plan against Messi seems to have worked; he has one goal on 19 shots, eight of which were on target, in the four matches between the clubs this season.

“What he brings to a game, what he brings to a team, just him standing on the field it requires your attention,” Atlanta United goalie Brad Guzan said. “There’s very few times that Plan A works. It’s Plan B and Plan C and Plan D and you have to adjust very quickly.”

Busquets, the team said, will be listed as questionable, which typically means that the club’s medical staff will see how he is feeling on game day before making a final determination.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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Dundee United manager Jim Goodwin has signed a contract extension at Tannadice, taking him to the summer of 2026.

The 42-year-old steered the club back to the top flight as Championship winners and they sit fourth after collecting 16 points from their first 11 matches.

“It was an easy decision,” said the former St Mirren and Aberdeen boss, who took the job in March 2023, initially on a short-term arrangement.

“The club’s long-term vision aligns perfectly with my own ambitions as a manager.

“Last year was an incredibly special one, and I’m immensely proud to have played a part in helping Dundee United reclaim their rightful place among the top clubs in Scotland.”

Goodwin signed 13 new players for the Premiership campaign and the squad has made a promising start to the campaign, losing just three league matches.

“It is important for our focus always to remain on the future and making improvements across the board, on a daily, monthly and yearly basis,” he continued.

“We are trying to cultivate and maintain a culture conducive to prolonged success, and for this to be achieved, our talented group of players and hard-working staff must continue to buy into what is being asked of them.

“An exciting challenge lies ahead of me, both for the remainder of the season and beyond, and I am eager to embrace it with continued support from my backroom team and the board.”

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Nick Cushing – one of the candidates for Arsenal women’s managerial vacancy – has seemingly ruled himself out of a return to the Women’s Super League.

The former Manchester City women’s boss emerged as an early candidate to replace Jonas Eidevall, but told a pre-match news conference he expects to still be with the Major League Soccer (MLS) side next season.

“The whole story is news to me,” Cushing said.

“There has been no contact from anybody outside this organisation with myself. I can confirm I will be here next year.”

The Gunners are still considering their options and have not yet conducted any interviews.

Last week Arsenal confirmed interim manager Renee Slegers will remain in charge until at least December.

Cushing, 39, is currently overseeing the best-of-three MLS Cup play-offs against Cincinnati.

Having won one game each, the winner of Saturday’s decider will progress to the semi-finals, with the MLS Cup taking place on 7 December.