Giants RB Saquon Barkley (ankle) not expected to play Sunday against Dolphins

Saquon Barkley‘s stay on the sidelines will likely extend to three weeks.

Barkley is not expected to play for the New York Giants’ Sunday showdown with the host Miami Dolphins as he’s still troubled by a high ankle sprain, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported, per sources. He has since been announced as inactive.

The Giants’ all-star back was limited throughout the week and designated as questionable coming into the Week 5 tilt, but will be held back for at least one more week. Ahead of the Giants’ Week 4 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, Barkley also practiced in limited capacity but drew a doubtful designation.

Barkley was injured in the Giants’ Week 2 win over the Arizona Cardinals.

He has been sorely missed as the Giants offense has sputtered in his absence, scoring a combined 15 points over the past two weeks in two losses. Barkley, who has missed multiple games in four of his six seasons, has been plagued by injuries throughout his career, and the Giants have gone 9-15 without him since he was drafted in 2018.

In fairness, Big Blue has struggled with Barkley in the lineup, too. The 26-year-old two-time Pro Bowler has rushed for 114 yards on 29 carries and caught nine passes for 41 yards with two total touchdowns this season.

New York enters Week 5 as the 32nd-ranked scoring offense. Its prospects of keeping up with the top-scoring Dolphins are a lot more arduous without Barkley.

The Giants (1-3) kick off against the Dolphins (3-1) at 1 p.m. ET.