SANTA CLARA – Linebacker Reuben Foster and the 49ers’ first- and second-strong strong safeties will not be available Thursday night when the club faces the Raiders at Levi’s Stadium.
Foster has been ruled out with a hamstring injury, the team announced on Wednesday.
Veteran linebacker Malcolm Smith will step in as the starter for the first time at the role of weakside linebacker the club envisioned him playing when he was signed to a contract on the first day of free agency in 2017. Smith missed all of last season with a torn pectoral. He was moved to strong-side linebacker this season, as Foster and rookie Fred Warner took over at the inside positions.