Why is Christian McCaffrey not playing tonight? Latest on 49ers RB for Week 3 NFL preseason vs Raiders

Even though several San Francisco 49ers players are still sidelined by injury, the squad appears to be improving as some already returned to practice. While certain players, such as running back Christian McCaffrey, are still not cleared to practice, their recovery is encouraging.

McCaffrey has not participated in the preseason and is still not expected to play for the Niners in their preseason finale against the Las Vegas Raiders on Friday due to a calf issue he has been dealing with since the beginning of August.

Since McCaffery is still not at full strength, the 49ers will not risk him in a preseason game.

McCaffrey was already declared out of the preseason two weeks ago. The Niners supporters' worries have been allayed though as the star running back said that he would be fit enough to play if it was the regular season, but the team has chosen to use caution with him.

"Christian suffered a calf strain a few days ago. Everything is well. You guys probably won't see him this preseason, but he didn't pull it or anything," coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters two weeks ago.

McCaffrey is expected to be ready to practice before the 49ers take on the New York Jets in their regular season opener on September 9. If there are no major setbacks, fans should see the NFL's reigning Offensive Player of the Year starting in Week 1.

Christian McCaffrey will once again be a key piece of the Niners' explosive attack this year. Despite missing the regular-season finale last year, he had his best individual season, leading the NFL with 1,459 rushing yards, 2,023 yards from scrimmage and 21 touchdowns.

NFL Preseason Week 3: How to watch San Francisco 49ers vs Las Vegas Raiders?

The 49ers will face the Raiders at Allegiant Stadium on Friday night in their last preseason game. The game is set to begin at 10:00 p.m. ET.

The match will be broadcast nationally on NFL Network with Jason Horowitz (play-by-play), Matt Millen and Rich Gannon (color analysts) as announcers. In addition, the game will also air locally on FOX5 Las Vegas.

For fans who prefer watching games on a streaming device, it is available on NFL+, Sling TV, and FuboTV, among others.