The 49ers expect to have wide receiver and return specialist Ted Ginn, Jr. back in the lineup for this Sunday night's game against the Eagles. Ginn has missed the last three games due to a sprained MCL. Ginn's return is certainly not going to make special teams coordinator Bobby April's job any easier this week. April knows Ginn all too well from his time in Buffalo when Ginn was with the Dolphins.

"I just think he's fantastic as a returner. I know he's had at least three kicks called back which would have enhanced his profile as a returner," April said of Ginn. "A guy with that kind of ability, we have a huge challenge to contain him. I mean, we have a huge challenge and we'll be up for it. We'll be up for it, but we have to fight."

A first-round pick of the Dolphins in 2007, Ginn was traded to the 49ers this past offseason for a fifth-round pick. Ginn's production as a receiver never matched what he's accomplished as a returner. He returned two kickoffs for touchdowns in the same game against the Jets last season as he earned AFC Special Teams Player of the Week and eventually Player of the Month honors.

In his first and only game with the 49ers, Ginn had a 19-yard reception, two punt returns for 27 yards and three kickoffs for 54 yards.

"I'm feeling good. I'm feeling much better than I was," Ginn told 49ers.com. "Just go out and continue to get better."

The Eagles rank 13th in the league in kickoff coverage with an average of 22.3 yards per return. April is pleased with the development of the kickoff coverage unit, which was a thorn in the team's side in the preseason.

"We have a tremendous challenge to keep always getting better on the kickoff coverage because it's not solved; it's just in a process of improving," April said.

-- Posted by Chris McPherson, 3:10 p.m., October 7