It’s LSU week for the Alabama Crimson Tide, and before anyone gets to the matchup itself, one question matters most. Who will Alabama have on the field? The Crimson Tide is coming off a bye week that could not have come at a better time, because this team has been battered by injuries.

Kalen DeBoer provided a big injury update during his weekly press conference on Monday. For the most part, it was exactly what Alabama fans were hoping to hear.

Kalen DeBoer offers positive update on 5 key Alabama players

DeBoer addressed several of the names the Crimson Tide have been without, via Touchdown Alabama.

“A lot of these guys from Zabien Brown to Ryan Coleman-Williams, EJ Crowell, Racin Delgatty, Terrance Green, in particular, those guys are all working on the football field. They’re not all in the same spot, but they’re all out there and going through workouts,” DeBoer said.

That is a massive update for Alabama. The last time we saw this team, it was against Texas A&M. Heading into the second half of that game, everybody was looking around and wondering whether the Crimson Tide’s season was slipping away.

Let’s be honest. If it had, injuries would have been a big reason why.

Winning football games in the SEC is hard enough with a full roster. It’s nearly impossible without your best corner, your starting center, your No. 1 wide receiver, your starting nose tackle, and your most explosive running back. That is the hole Alabama has been trying to climb out of.

DeBoer was careful to note that not every player is at the same stage of his recovery. Still, seeing all five of them back on the field and working is a step in the right direction. If and when Alabama gets those players back against LSU, it will be a huge boost for the Crimson Tide.

Desmond Umeozulu injury is a blow to Alabama’s defensive line

DeBoer’s update did include some bad news.

DeBoer confirmed senior edge defender Desmond Umeozulu will likely miss the remainder of the regular season. That is a blow for Alabama, and it hits a position group that has already been stretched thin.

Zulu and Justin Hill were both out for an extended stretch, and their absence hurt the depth along the defensive line. Players like Devan Thompkins and Yhonzae Pierre had to play out of position to fill the gaps. Hill is back now, which helps, but Zulu won’t be walking through that door anytime soon.

Alabama is going to need some other guys to step up, and that likely means more snaps for younger players. I would like to see more of Xavier Griffin. That holds even if it means lining Griffin up and letting him come off the edge. The Crimson Tide need bodies who can get after the quarterback, and Griffin has earned a longer look.

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Why Alabama should feel good heading into LSU week

Losing Zulu for the rest of the regular season stings. No one is going to pretend otherwise. However, the bigger picture is far more encouraging than it looked a few weeks ago.

Alabama went into its bye week with real questions about whether it could stay healthy enough to compete with the best teams in the SEC. Now DeBoer has his top corner, starting center, top receiver, starting nose tackle, and most explosive back all working their way back.

All in all, it was a positive update ahead of a critical game for the Crimson Tide. If even most of those five players suit up against LSU, Alabama will look a lot more like the team it expected to be when the season started.