Reuben Foster was cleared to return against Cowboys but Shanahan held him out

San Francisco 49ers linebacker Reuben Foster left Sunday's game against the Dallas Cowboys with a rib injury and was announced as questionable to return. The injury took place during a tackle of Ezekiel Elliott in the second half of the game and Foster departed for the locker room.

Foster was cleared to return to the game by the 49ers' medical staff but head coach Kyle Shanahan made the decision to hold him out with Dallas holding onto an insurmountable lead.

"There's no update on the rib injury," Shanahan said. "I know he wanted to go back in the game and he was cleared to go back in the game late in the fourth but that was me. I held him out just at the end. It was too important. I wanted to make sure we had him next week. The fact that he was good to go there, I'm assuming he'll be good to go next week but you never know. We'll see what happens tomorrow when he wakes up."

Following the loss, Foster was asked if he expects to play next weekend against the Philadelphia Eagles. He did not seem as confident as Shanahan.

"I really don't know," Foster answered. "I've got to just see what the doctors say about it. If they clear me, they clear me. If they don't, they don't."

Sunday was Foster's first game since a September 10 injury that took place against the Carolina Panthers. Foster suffered a high-ankle sprain during that Week 1 contest that forced him to miss five games.

Foster ended Sunday's game with five tackles, which included one for a loss. He was replaced by Brock Coyle.

Right tackle Trent Brown also left the game to be evaluated for a head injury. He too was listed as questionable to return.