The San Francisco 49ers continue to prepare for their Week 1 tilt with the Chicago Bears on September 11th, but they've been going throughout training camp without running back Elijah Mitchell. He's still dealing with a hamstring injury after also undergoing a clean-up procedure on his knee in the offseason. But, it appears Trey Lance will have his backfield star return very soon.

Per Adam Schefter, Mitchell is expected to be ready for the regular season opener:

This is fantastic news for the 49ers. Elijah Mitchell has yet to play in the preseason, which totally makes sense. They just want him ready to roll once the real games begin.

Mitchell is coming off a very solid rookie campaign in the Bay Area, leading the team in rushing yards with 963 on 207 touches and five touchdowns. Kyle Shanahan knows exactly what the RB is capable of. No point in risking anything right now.

This is a big year for the Niners and it'll be interesting to see how they do with Lance now running the offense. Jimmy Garoppolo still remains on the roster, but the franchise is still working on finding him a new home. Lance has impressed so far, showing off his big arm. It remains to be seen if he can take San Fran to championship heights though.

That being said, the weapons are certainly there. Deebo Samuel re-upped with the team after initially asking for a trade, while Elijah Mitchell will be looking to break that 1,000 yards barrier in Year 2. You also can't forget George Kittle or the 49ers' strong defense.