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Alabama Football: Tua healthy but Jalen and Deonte no-go for The Citadel

By Ronald Evans

BATON ROUGE, LA - NOVEMBER 03: Tua Tagovailoa #13 of the Alabama Crimson Tide runs for a third quarter touchdown while playing the LSU Tigers at Tiger Stadium on November 3, 2018 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Alabama won the game 29-0. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
BATON ROUGE, LA - NOVEMBER 03: Tua Tagovailoa #13 of the Alabama Crimson Tide runs for a third quarter touchdown while playing the LSU Tigers at Tiger Stadium on November 3, 2018 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Alabama won the game 29-0. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /
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Alabama football fans have been worried about Tua’s health but Nick Saban says Tua has recovered from his knee injury. Jalen Hurts and Deonte Brown are still hurting.

Alabama football quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa is good to go against The Citadel. Nick Saban said on Wednesday the injury “from earlier in the season” is no longer a problem. Nick was in good humor at his Wednesday evening media review but he was also clear counter opinions on Tua playing/not playing were of no interest to him.

Evidence that Nick is providing factual information on Tua was the Wednesday practice session. As is customary for Wednesday, Alabama football worked in full pads. Tua worked without a knee brace. Of course, Crimson Tide quarterbacks are no-contact players in practice, so braces are not to protect them from hits.

Tua has been lobbying for discarding the brace for a couple of weeks. It remains to be seen if he hits the field without it on Saturday. But he will play and at least Nick Saban believes the reward for playing him outweighs any risk.

When Tua does exit on Saturday, don’t look for Jalen Hurts to replace him. Jalen clearly has not recovered from his ankle injury and surgery. Saban uses ‘day-to-day’ in the broadest sense when describing injuries. Jalen is technically ‘day-to-day’ but game-to-game would be a better description. Maybe, in an emergency, he could play against Auburn or Georgia. Some Alabama football insiders believe Jalen will not be available until the CFB Playoff.

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Another ‘day-to-day’ guy is Deonte Brown. The new starter at left guard has a turf toe problem. Though it is not official, he will not play against The Citadel. Turf toe injuries do not heal quickly. A best-case scenario would be Brown to sit the next two weeks. If he returns to action too quickly, and further aggravates the injury, his availability for the Playoff would be in doubt.

Because left tackle, Jonah Williams, did not fully participate during Wednesday’s media viewing period, there is speculation about his health. Credible insiders have subsequently said Jonah is or will be fine.

Otherwise, except for those guys out for the season, the Alabama Crimson Tide is good to go on Saturday. Our advice is don’t worry about Alabama football covering the spread against The Citadel. Instead, worry about losing more players to injury.

Next. Nick Saban's All-time Alabama Football Starting Team. dark

Tua was wearing a rubber sleeve at practice. There is speculation the latest leg pain for Tua comes from a quad muscle rather than the knee.

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