The San Francisco 49ers will be without Frank Gore for the next two weeks after he injured his right ankle against Minnesota.
Pennington could be shouldered out for the season in Miami
The San Francisco 49ers will have to do without Frank Gore for their next two games due to a right ankle injury.
The running back was hurt on his first rushing attempt, which went for four yards, during Sunday's 27-24 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
An MRI scan revealed he has suffered a strain, though the team insist it is not related to a similar problem that he suffered in week two against Seattle.
Gore will be sidelined for the contests against the St Louis Rams and then the Atlanta Falcons the following week.
The 49ers then have a bye week, meaning the 26-year-old is expected to return to action against the Houston Texans on October 25.
Rookie Glen Coffee, who rushed for 54 yards on 25 carries as Gore's replacement in Minnesota, will take over as the starting tail-back.
Wounded Dolphin
Elsewhere in the NFL, there are fears that Miami Dolphins quarterback Chad Pennington may have played his last game of the season.
The 10-year veteran hurt his shoulder in the third quarter of his team's 23-13 loss to the San Diego Chargers on Sunday.
The Dolphins have yet to comment on the full extent of Pennington's injury following an MRI scan. He has twice before had surgery on his throwing shoulder, firstly in 2004 and then again the following year.
Chad Henne - a second-round pick in last year's draft - took over under centre against the Chargers, completing 10 of 19 passes for 92 yards with an interception as Miami slipped to 0-3 for the year.
