Coach Brian Daboll said Tuesday that Barkley (ankle) "feels a lot better today," and the running back hasn't been ruled out for Thursday's game against the 49ers, Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post reports.
Daboll said he expects Barkley to be a game-time decision and that the running back has made "considerable progress," per Dan Salomone of the Giants' official site. Still, it would be surprising if Barkley manages to suit up Thursday, considering that he just suffered a right ankle sprain Sunday. Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com reports that such injuries can require about three weeks of recovery. Tuesday's official injury report will provide a more concrete update on Barkley's status, but it looks like his availability for Thursday could come down to the wire.