Before a question could even be asked, Alabama coach Nick Saban cut it off at the pass. Saban said the status of the three injured linebackers that practiced Wednesday afternoon — Terrell Lewis, Christian Miller and Mack Wilson — hasn’t been decided and wouldn’t be until the day of the game.
Miller and Lewis haven’t played since the season-opening game against Florida State. Miller suffered a torn biceps muscle and Lewis sustained a torn ligament in his elbow.
“From an injury standpoint, I know you guys are going to ask me about these guys: Look, all these guys are at a different stage of rehabilitation, rehab, whatever you want to call it,” Saban said. “They’re all able to practice to some degree. I can’t sit here and tell you any of them are healthy enough to play in the game. Not healthy enough is probably not the right word. Able to practice enough to be in the kind of playing shape they need to be in to go out there and do their job. That’s going to be a decision that we have to make from A) a medical standpoint, and B) what are they able to do? Can they be effective? And C) Do they feel like they can go out there and do their job relative to how they’ve been able to be effective in practice. And that’s not really going to happen until the game. So you can keep asking me about it all you want, but that’s basically all I can tell you. I’m betting, my practice plan and script, that somebody will ask about the injured players.”
Saban was directly asked about the health of kicker Andy Pappanastos and defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick, neither of whom played against Mercer. He was tight lipped about both and said Fitzpatrick had practiced and Pappanastos would be a game-time decision.
Reach Aaron Suttles at aaron@tidesports.com or at 205-722-0229.
