Barkley and Engram on track to be back

The boys are coming back. The Giants offense is getting healthier, as running back Saquon Barkley and tight end Evan Engram are making strides and it appears as if both dynamic players will be available for Sunday’s game against the Cardinals.

Although receiver Sterling Shepard is making progress, he is unlikely to make it back for this game, as he remains in the concussion protocol.

All signs continue to point to Barkley returning this weekend after missing the past three games with a high ankle sprain. Barkley has increased his practice workload and is ahead of the six-toeight week timeline most commonly used for high ankle sprains. If Barkley is able to play Sunday, it will be four weeks after sustaining the injury in Tampa.

“He has to handle practice well and be ready to play,’’ coach Pat Shurmur said. “He practiced [Monday], so we’ll see when he comes in [Tuesday], how he feels. Then the next day and so on and so forth.’’

Engram, with his left leg wrapped, was able to work in the early stages of practice. He is dealing with a sprained left knee and did not play Thursday night against the Patriots.

“He did a lot,’’ Shurmur said of Engram’s workload on Monday.

Engram missed three games last season with a sprained medial collateral ligament in his right knee.

“It’s definitely not as severe as that,’’ Engram said. “Definitely kind of a calming feeling.’’

Engram was clearly feeling better, calling Monday “a really good day’’ and saying he is “pretty optimistic’’ he will be ready to return after missing only one game.

Shepard was on the field for stretching and some early individual drills, an indication he is not overly symptomatic. “Yeah, that’s fair,’’ Shurmur said. The activity is a promising development, although there are many obstacles to hurdle before Shepard has any chance to play Sunday against the Cardinals. He suffered a concussion in the season-opening loss to the Cowboys and sustained a second concussion four weeks later in the loss to the Vikings.

The proximity between the first and second concussion is alarming and a reason for extreme caution, which is why Shepard is not expected to clear the protocol this week.

Backup running back Wayne Gallman is in the concussion protocol but is expected to be cleared this week. He was able to work in individual drills on Monday.