INDIANAPOLIS -- The Indianapolis Colts got mixed injury news ahead of their "Monday Night Football" matchup with the San Francisco 49ers.
Defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, whose absence has been felt during the five games he missed with a neck injury, will return for the game, coach Shane Steichen said. '
Meanwhile, cornerback Sauce Gardner (calf) will miss his third consecutive game, leaving the Colts in a precarious place at cornerback with fellow starter Charvarius Ward on injured reserve because of multiple concussions.
Buckner was placed on injured reserve last month and was uncertain of how long recovery might take. But he traveled to Panama for the second time to undergo stem cell treatment in recent weeks and said the outcome was positive. Buckner also went to the same clinic for treatment on a severe high ankle sprain last season and insisted the process helped speed his recovery.
"We're looking forward to getting him back," Steichen said of his team's most impactful defensive player.
Gardner, who was the centerpiece of a blockbuster trade last month that sent him to Indianapolis from the New York Jets, has not returned to practice since sustaining his injury. But Steichen said he expects Gardner to return before the end of the season.
The Colts are still fighting for playoff position in the AFC with games against the 49ers, Jacksonville Jaguars and Houston Texans remaining.