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By Jeremy Harness

One more preseason game, and then after that, it will be for real.

The San Francisco 49ers will play their final exhibition game Thursday night at Levi’s Stadium against the Los Angeles Chargers.

The team has seen more than its fair share of injuries this preseason, so don’t expect the starters to be in the game for very long on Thursday, if at all. Typically, teams do not usually play their starters in the final preseason game anyway.

However, this game will serve as the final audition for players who are fighting the final 53-man roster, so expect those guys to play most of the game, if not all, of it.

Meanwhile, the players who were lost early in the preseason are expected back for the beginning of the regular season, which starts next Sunday, Sept. 9 at Minnesota.

Among those players are running backs Jerick McKinnon and Matt Breida, who were lost in the first preseason game against Dallas and the practice in the days following that.

Also expected back for the start of the season is defensive end Solomon Thomas, which will certainly help the young 49ers defense against a talented Vikings offense.