SANTA CLARA — The 49ers welcomed four players to the practice field Tuesday, highlighted by wide receiver Mario Manningham’s first participation since tearing ligaments in his left knee last December.

Veteran cornerback Eric Wright and rookie defensive linemen Tank Carradine and Quinton Dial practiced for the first time as 49ers.

Tuesday was the first day players on the physically unable to perform or non-football injury lists could participate in practice, and the 49ers held a light walk-through. Their first full practices will come Wednesday. The 49ers have 21 days to add the players to the 53-man active roster, place them on injured reserve for the rest of the season or release them.

Manningham seemed energize after practicing for the first time since he was injured in last season’s 42-13 loss at Seattle on Dec. 23, the team’s second-to-last game of the regular season.

“I’m just trying to get confidence back, stay right upstairs,” Manningham said. “You can get caught up in not playing. Just trying to keep my attitude positive.”

Manningham expects to be a limited participant in Wednesday’s practice and still should need at least a couple of weeks before he’s ready to play in a game. He said he wasn’t medically cleared to practice until Monday.

“Just taking it day by day, doing a couple periods,” Manningham said. “Just trying to do what I’ve got to do to get back to 100 (percent). Just ease into it.”

Manningham was second on the 49ers in receptions and third in receiving yards last year. Other than Anquan Boldin, wide receivers for the 49ers have combined for just 15 receptions through six games this season, so Manningham would be a welcome addition when he returns.

“Just trying to stay in tune with what the team’s doing,” Manningham said. “It’s hard to be in a meeting when you’re not involved in it.”

The 49ers play at Tennessee on Sunday and then immediately head to London for an Oct. 27 game against Jacksonville. They have a bye week when they return, and the Nov. 10 home game against Carolina could be a target date for Manningham.

Wright signed with the 49ers in late August a month after a trade from Tampa Bay to San Francisco was voided because he failed a physical. News of a DUI arrest became public shortly after the trade was announced. Wright was returned to the Buccaneers and they released him. He later signed with the 49ers, who promptly placed him on the non-football injury list. Wright, a San Francisco native, didn’t indicate any physical ailments when speaking with the media for the first time as a 49er. “All of us in general, we have personal responsibilities,” Wright said when asked about his health issues that kept him off the field. “We all have families, we have kids and different things like that. We’re responsible for a lot of things. We’re more than just professional athletes, so I’m just grateful for this opportunity to be here playing for my hometown team and playing for such a storied franchise and being able to live out my dream.” Asked if he had any physical limitations, Wright said, “Being out just practicing, that says a lot.”