Carolina Panthers Christian McCaffrey (22), San Francisco 49ers linebacker Reuben Foster (56) and San Francisco 49ers defensive lineman Solomon Thomas (94), all 2017 first round draft picks, talk after an NFL football game on Sunday, Sept. 10, 2017 in Santa Clara, Calif. The Panthers won the game, 23-3. (Greg Trott via AP)

By Jeremy Harness

 SANTA CLARA–The 49ers’ season is expected to be, to say the least, very challenging with a lot of growing pains in store for one of the youngest teams in the NFL. Those challenges are being presented to them right off the bat.

 After a convincing loss at the hands of the Carolina Panthers at home in the season opener last Sunday, they now go to a place that they have not won in six years.

 Seattle’s CenturyLink Field will be the site this Sunday, as the 49ers face the NFC West nemesis Seahawks, and they are facing long odds indeed. The last time they escaped Seattle with a victory was in 2011 – former coach Jim Harbaugh’s first year with the 49ers – and they have not beaten the Seahawks at all since 2013, which happened to be the last year they played at Candlestick Park before moving into Levi’s Stadium.

 Making things even tougher is that the injury bug has already hit the 49ers, and it has hit in a key place.

 In an attempt to get to Carolina rookie running back Christian McCaffrey, linebacker Reuben Foster sprained his right ankle, and even though he tried getting back into the game in the second half, he was held out of action for the remainder of the contest.

Thankfully, X-rays done on Foster’s ankle came up negative, but he was later diagnosed with a high ankle sprain, which have a significantly-higher recovery time than regular ankle sprains. In fact, coach Kyle Shanahan said that Foster could be sidelined for at least a month.

 In the meantime, Foster is expected to be replaced in the lineup by Ray-Ray Armstrong, who took his spot in the starting defense on Sunday and, by most accounts, turned in a nice overall performance.

 Besides Foster, tight end George Kittle (hamstring, calf) and safety Jimmie Ward (hamstring) are also nursing injuries suffered on Sunday and were both limited in practice Wednesday. Tackle Joe Staley, along with Foster, did not practice on Wednesday, but Staley’s case was not injury-related.

 The 49ers will be facing a team eager to get back to the Super Bowl. The Seahawks, meanwhile, are seething from an opening-week loss to the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. But they are nursing some injuries as well as they head into Sunday’s matchup.

 Cornerback Richard Sherman (hamstring) and linebacker K.J Wright (ankle), both starters, were both held out of practice on Wednesday, while former 49ers linebacker Michael Wilhoite (calf) practiced in a limited fashion.