49ers LB Fred Warner has been playing through a broken bone in his ankle

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — San Francisco 49ers star linebacker Fred Warner revealed Wednesday that he has been playing through a broken bone in his ankle since September.

Warner said the injury happened in the first half of San Francisco's win in Week 4 against the New England Patriots. Warner sat out the second half of that game and was on the injury report for the next two weeks but didn't miss any time.

“It’s something I deal with every game,” Warner said. “I get on that table before the game and get it shot up every single game just to be able to roll. But it’s not an excuse. It’s just what it is. That’s the NFL. You’re not going to be healthy. You’ve got to go out there, you’ve got to find ways to execute, to play at a high level and to win every single week.”

Warner's play has shown a drop-off since he got hurt. He had two interceptions —including one returned for a TD before he got hurt against New England — three forced fumbles, one sack and four passes defensed in his first four games.

He has no interceptions or sacks, with just two passes defensed and one forced fumble in his past seven games.

Warner has also had nine of his 11 missed tackles since getting hurt, including four last week against Green Bay, according to Pro Football Focus and has struggled on coverage.

Warner has allowed 31 catches on 31 targets the past seven games, according to PFF, after giving up just four catches on 14 targets the first four games.

Warner is a three-time All-Pro and has never missed a game since entering the NFL in 2018. He has no plans to miss any time, even if the injury is not getting any better.

“Any time you fracture a bone, if you just continue to play on it, the bone is usually not going to be able to heal itself,” he said. “Just got to continue to just fight through.”

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

San Francisco 49ers linebacker Fred Warner (54) celebrates after an NFL football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Tampa, Fla., Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Jason Behnken)

Seattle Seahawks tight end AJ Barner (88) runs against San Francisco 49ers linebacker Fred Warner, bottom, during the second half of an NFL football game in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)

BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — A top Romanian court on Thursday asked the official electoral authority to recount and verify all of the ballots cast in the first round of the presidential election, which was won by a far-right outsider candidate, sending shockwaves through the political establishment.

The Constitutional Court in Bucharest voted unanimously in favor of the recount, and said the decision is final. The Central Election Bureau is expected to meet on Thursday afternoon to discuss the request.

Calin Georgescu, a little-known, far-right populist, won the first round, beating the incumbent prime minister. Georgescu, who ran independently, was due to face reformist Elena Lasconi, the mayor of the town of Campulung, in a Dec. 8. runoff.

Georgescu's unexpected success has prompted nightly protests by people who are concerned with previous remarks he's made in praising Romanian fascist and nationalist leaders and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The Constitutional Court on Thursday also rejected a request by Sebastian Popescu, a former presidential candidate who got just 0.15% of the vote, to annul the first-round vote. Popescu alleged Georgescu — who declared zero campaign spending — had not disclosed financing linked to a massive TikTok campaign, which many have credited for his success.

Popescu also alleged in his appeal that Georgescu had used widespread disinformation and “defrauded the electoral law by illegally financing the entire electoral campaign, having support from outside the country’s borders, from state entities with the aim of destabilizing Romania.”

Georgescu, who said a network of Romanian volunteers helped his campaign, has denied any wrongdoing. “They want to ban the right of the Romanian people to speak freely,” he told a local news channel Wednesday, adding the first round vote “was perfectly democratic and legitimate.”

Youngsters shout slogans and flash the light of their mobile phones in Bucharest, Romania, Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, during a protest against Calin Georgescu, the independent candidate for Romanian presidency who won the first round of elections making it to the Dec. 8, runoff. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

A woman shouts next to a banner depicting a grumpy cat with a text that reads "I feel like barking" in Bucharest, Romania, Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024 during a protest against Calin Georgescu, the independent candidate for Romanian presidency who won the first round of elections making it to the Dec. 8, runoff. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Youngsters shout slogans and flash the light of their mobile phones in Bucharest, Romania, Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, next to an altered version of a classic painting, depicting Russian President Vladimir Putin and Calin Georgescu, the independent candidate for Romanian presidency who won the first round of elections making it to the Dec. 8, runoff. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

Calin Georgescu independent candidate in the presidential elections speaks to media, in Izvorani, Romania, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024, after making it into the December 8 election runoff. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru)

Calin Georgescu, running as an independent candidate for president gestures while delivering a speech to media, in Izvorani, Romania, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024, after making it to the Dec. 8 election runoff. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

A journalist records Calin Georgescu, running as an independent candidate for president gestures while delivering a speech to media, in Izvorani, Romania, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024, after making it to the Dec. 8 election runoff. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)