The Giants listed Barkley (ankle) as a limited participant on their Friday injury report, though he's already been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Vikings.
The limited listing suggests Barkley took a step up in his activity from individual drills earlier in the week, giving him a chance to return for a Week 6 game against the Patriots on Thursday. The running back initially was given an estimated recovery timeline of 4-to-8 weeks, but it's become increasingly clear he's a fast healer. Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com believes Barkley's goal all along has been a return for the matchup with New England.