The Saskatchewan Roughriders will have very little change to their roster when they take on the Montreal Alouettes on Friday night.
Veteran fullback Albert Awachie (knee) will be the only player heading to the one-game injured list this week, while backup Canadian defensive end Nicholas Dheilly becomes the lone returnee to the lineup after recovering from a head injury.
Along with Awachie, the Riders will have five players renewing their stint on the one game. These include Canadian receivers Juwan Brescacin (shoulder), Mitch Picton (head), and Kian Schaffer-Baker (hip), defensive back Rodney Clemons (ankle), and left tackle Brandon Council (knee).
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Saskatchewan has battled the injury bug all season, with seven players still on the six-game injured list. That list includes season-ending injuries to offensive linemen Phillip Blake and Jerald Hawkins, as well as the continued long-term absences of defensive backs Rolan Milligan and Godfrey Onyeka, receiver Brayden Lenius, defensive lineman Bryan Cox Jr., and franchise quarterback Trevor Harris.
Friday’s game marks the first and only meeting between Saskatchewan and Montreal this season; a match-up that carries considerable baggage due to a chaotic offseason. Alouettes’ head coach Jason Maas spent two seasons as the Riders’ offensive coordinator before he was fired following the 2022 season. He earned a promotion by moving to Quebec and brought with him embattled franchise quarterback Cody Fajardo. The move was only possible after Saskatchewan poached a new starter from Montreal in Harris.
Harris remains out with a tibial plateau fracture, while Fajardo will be a game-time decision due to a left shoulder injury. If he plays, he will face off against his former backup Mason Fine, the player for whom the Riders benched him for the final two games of last season.
The Riders (4-4) will visit the Alouettes (4-3) at 7:30 p.m. EDT on August 11. They are currently [metabet_core_dynamic_odds market=”spread-away” query=”531041″ site_id=”3downnation”] point underdogs.
Photo courtesy: Saskatchewan Roughriders
