Fred Warner carted off with gruesome ankle injury in gutting 49ers scene

The 49ers’ defense took a devastating injury hit Sunday as star linebacker Fred Warner was carted off the field in an aircast during the first quarter against the Buccaneers.

Warner, a four-time Pro Bowler and already up to 51 combined tackles, was stuck in a cluster of players during a Raachad White run when safety Ji’Ayir Brown appeared to roll over his right leg.

The entire 49ers sideline came onto the field as trainers examined him, placed his leg into an aircast and drove him off the Raymond James Stadium field.

Warner, 28 and a third-round pick in 2018, had become the centerpiece of the San Francisco defense, which entered Sunday tied for the sixth-best mark in the league for points allowed per game (19.6) under defensive coordinator and former Jets head coach Robert Saleh.

The unit’s strong performance has helped the 49ers overcome a Brock Purdy injury — with their starting quarterback missing his fourth game Sunday with a toe injury — while adjusting to backup quarterback Mac Jones.

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San Francisco led the Buccaneers, 10-7, midway through the second quarter after Christian McCaffrey scored a touchdown.