SANTA CLARA, Calif. — If you’re reading this Thursday morning, the San Francisco 49ers are probably somewhere between the Solomon Islands and the Australian mainland.The team took off from the Bay Area on Wednesday night with Nick Bosa, George Kittle and almost everyone else on board, a week ahead of the opener against the Los Angeles Rams. The only player who was not on the plane was defensive end Sam Okuayinonu, who is questionable for the game with a foot injury, the 49ers announced.They’ll have a half-speed “bonus” practice Saturday morning in Melbourne, then start their Week 1 preparations in earnest Monday. How much will Bosa and Kittle play? Where’s the weak spot on the roster? Which players are under the radar heading into the big game? Where will rookie wideout De’Zhaun Stribling line up?We tackle all those questions and more in this week’s mailbag. Thanks for all the great queries, which, as usual, have been slightly modified for length and clarity.Nick Bosa addresses the long road back from his knee injuryVic TafurDo you think Stribling will see a lot of snaps as the Z receiver this year? Sounds like he’s seeing snaps primarily in the slot, but imagine he’d get more playing time as the Z. Also has the speed and build of an outside receiver. — Dean R.Maybe. But I think the plan is for him to be the primary F (slot) receiver and Mike Evans’ understudy at X. All of the receivers should know how to play all three spots, but this is how I see it primarily breaking down:• X: Evans, Stribling, Demarcus Robinson• Z: Deebo Samuel, Jordan Watkins, Jacob Cowing• F: Stribling, Christian Kirk (when healthy), CowingAs I’ve mentioned, I think it’ll be interesting to see which receivers are in uniform next week against the Rams. Cowing (groin) didn’t practice this week. The team could elevate practice squadder KhaDarel Hodge, who would serve as a gunner/special teams ace in Week 1.Hey there, Matt, curious how has Deebo been looking the past few days? Does he appear faster/more burst than his last year with the Niners? — Mark J.Yes. Somehow Samuel, one of the most recognizable names in the sport, has flown under the radar this summer. Unlike most of his receiver and running back teammates, he didn’t miss any practices after signing with the team. And he’s looked good when he’s been out there.I’m not saying he’s back to looking like 2021-season Deebo. But 2023-season Deebo seems reasonable. The 49ers also have not been shy about giving him carries and talking about using him as a running back. So not only is Deebo back — wideback is back.Do you know if basically everyone is going on the trip regardless of injury status (except maybe PUP/IR guys), or will some guys be left behind? — Jourdan M.Yes, my sense is that the PUP/injured reserve guys will be the ones staying behind. That group comprises:• DE Mykel Williams• RB Isaac Guerendo• LB Nick Martin• WR Christian Kirk• OT Austen Pleasants• CB Nate HobbsOh, and don’t forget Brandon Aiyuk. He’s not going, either.With injuries putting several players’ Week 1 status in question, will the team travel with the entire practice squad to Australia as potential replacements if needed? — Jeff S.Yes. The 49ers will also hold four practices there. The practice squadders will be essential for those sessions. Defensive tackle Sebastian Valdez, for example, got high marks from the starting offensive linemen last year for challenging them in practices.If Kittle and Bosa play Week 1, do you think they will be on a snap count? — Blake T.This will be the third training camp in which Bosa has had minimal or no practices. The first was in 2019, when he suffered a bad ankle sprain in an early summer practice and was still recovering heading into Week 1. The second was in 2023 when he missed training camp due to a contract holdout. His Week 1 snaps those seasons:• 2019: 38 (55.1 percent)• 2023: 35 (55.6 percent)He played more than 75 percent of the overall defensive snaps in both of those seasons, so it appears he was on a snap count. Then again, both games were blowout wins (31-17 over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2019 and 30-7 over the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2023), so that likely had a lot to do with his playing time, too.If Kittle plays, I’m sure he won’t be on the field for his usual 95 percent of the offensive snaps. The team has to consider the long ride back for both players.Do you think the Niners are content with their projected pass rush or do you expect more moves to come? — Michael C.I expect we’ll be talking about pass rush/defensive ends as the Nov. 10 trade deadline approaches. The 49ers will have a lot more five-man fronts and call more blitzes than in previous years. So their pass-rush and sack numbers might look good at a glance. But will it be anything more than a clever comb-over to disguise a bald spot? Keep an eye on points allowed per game, which last year was a respectable 21.8 despite all the missing players and lowly sack numbers.Renardo Green and Ephesians Prysock are nursing injuries. Nate Hobbs is on IR. Darrell Luter is a Raider. Aren’t the 49ers too thin at cornerback right now? What’s the plan there? — Harry B.Prysock was back at practice this week (wearing Luter’s former number, 28). If Green (hamstring) can’t play, Jack Jones would start on the outside opposite Deommodore Lenoir, with Prysock being the backup. If Upton Stout got hurt, Lenoir would move to nickel cornerback, and Prysock would take his spot on the outside. Siran Neal, meanwhile, also serves as a backstop at the position. He can play cornerback or safety.Do you think the Niners do the Bumpboxx walkout Down Under, and how will the Australian fans react to the walkout? — Gavin C.I was fascinated to hear about “Tall Poppy Syndrome” from Aussies recently. I think they’d balk if any of their own rugby or footy teams did that for their entrance. It’s too showy for a decidedly unpretentious culture like theirs. But I feel like the Bumpboxx fits the spectacle that fans are expecting in this game. That is, Bumpboxx = the NFL = America.I asked Trent Williams on Wednesday whether the Bumpboxx will be making the trip. His reply: “I expect it will be.”What’s your craziest sports travel experience? — Todd S.• After writing up our game stories for the 49ers’ playoff win in Green Bay in January 2014, Matt Maiocco and I hopped in a rental car at midnight and drove to Chicago for a flight later that morning. The temperature was minus-13 when we left, and the conditions got only worse. We abandoned the car in what we estimated was the rental car place — hard to say because the snow was so deep — and made our flight. It was a harrowing drive that paid off. All the writers who flew out of Green Bay were stuck for days.• During a trip to Buffalo, Dan Brown, Matt Maiocco and I decided to drive to Toronto to watch a Maple Leafs game … only to find the game was sold out. As we were walking away from the box office, we bumped into ex-Leafs player Stu Gavin, who invited us to watch the game with other former Leafs in his suite. Thanks, Stu!• The airline lost my luggage upon arrival in London for a 49ers-Broncos game in 2010. (Thanks, Delta.) I haven’t checked a bag since and won’t for the upcoming trip to Melbourne. #Carryon4LifeIf the NFL goes international, what are the challenges?Jayna BardahlWill any of the 49ers’ practices be open to the public in Melbourne? — Craig P.Both teams should have open practices. After all, the NFL is trying to spread its product to a foreign audience. But they won’t be, because NFL teams have become so unbelievably paranoid. The Rams, for example, have been marketing in Australia for five years and are the “home” team for the upcoming game. Their outreach this week? Arriving one day beforehand and flying out as soon as humanly possible. G’day and G’bye!What do you think of the 49ers’ and Rams’ different approaches to traveling to Australia? Traveling so far, so close to game day seems wild to me. — Jason M.Ask me again Sunday (Melbourne time), which is the day after I arrive. The Rams are attempting their own day-before-game arrival. I imagine that might help them in Week 2, but Week 1 seems more fraught. It’s a tortoise (49ers) and hare (Rams) situation.If the 49ers’ roster had to consist of one Australian movie/TV star, who would you pick and at what position would you play them? — Patrick W.Ben Mendelsohn. Position? He can play anything.