The Giants are targeting their Week 6 game in New England for Barkley's (ankle) return to action, a source familiar with the team's plans for the running back told Ralph Vacchiano of SportsNet New York.
Though Barkley hasn't registered a limited listing in any practice since suffering the right high-ankle sprain Sept. 22 at Tampa Bay, the running back has already advanced to the point of running at full speed and incorporating change-of-direction work into his workout regimen. His accelerated recovery has left coach Pat Shurmur reluctant to rule Barkley out for Sunday's game against the Vikings, but the Giants are ultimately expected to take a cautious approach with the star running back and hold him out for a second straight contest. If Barkley ends up gaining clearance to play in the Week 6 contest -- a Thursday night game -- he'll have beaten the short end of his estimated 4-to-8-week recovery timetable by about a week and a half.