49ers left tackle Joe Staley out 'a couple weeks' after finger surgery

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- After missing six games because of a broken fibula, San Francisco 49ers left tackle Joe Staley is out again for at least another couple of weeks.

Niners coach Kyle Shanahan announced Wednesday that Staley had finger surgery after he fractured and dislocated his finger in Monday night's game against the Seattle Seahawks.

"He will not play this week," Shanahan said. "He'll probably be out a couple weeks."

Staley suffered the injury in the game and was able to play through it, but when he woke up on Tuesday, the finger had swelled considerably, and he sought out San Francisco's medical staff to find out the extent of the injury.

Shanahan told reporters Tuesday afternoon that Staley had a broken finger but was seeking a second opinion before getting the surgery that would require him to miss a couple of weeks.

As it turned out, Staley needed surgery and underwent the procedure Tuesday evening. Right tackle Mike McGlinchey, a close friend of Staley's, said he has been in touch with Staley.

"It was an unfortunate thing, didn't even realized that it happened," McGlinchey said. "It was a finger that I think he had already had some issues with, and he came in the next morning, and it had ballooned up on him, and it was like an afterthought. Unfortunately, that's the results that came back. But his spirits are high, he's going to continue to rehab and be a pro like he always does, and hopefully we get him back in a few weeks."

Rookie Justin Skule, who filled in for Staley while he was out earlier this season, will "most likely" step back into that role, according to Shanahan.

"I thought he did a very good job," Shanahan said. "He came in there and stepped it up right away. I thought he got better each week."

As for tight end George Kittle, Shanahan has been reluctant to rule him out early in the week of games because of Kittle's history of playing through pain. But Shanahan told Arizona reporters on his conference call with them Wednesday afternoon that the Niners "won't have Kittle" while answering a question about fullback Kyle Juszczyk's versatility in the offense.

Soon after, a 49ers spokesman clarified that Shanahan misspoke and was trying to say that although Kittle has not officially been ruled out, the team is preparing as though he won't play for the second week in a row. According to the team spokesman, Kittle, who did not practice Wednesday, is considered unlikely to play, though that determination will officially be made later in the week.