Like any head coach, Auburn’s Hugh Freeze looks at the bye week as an opportunity to regroup and perhaps more importantly, get healthy.

“They’ll get a weekend off to hopefully get healthy,” Freeze said Wednesday during the SEC Coaches teleconference.

Auburn linebacker Austin Keys, defensive back Keionte Scott and running back Damari Alston make up a trio of Auburn players that have been banged up for an extended period of time.

Keys was the first to be bit by the injury bug as he suffered a thumb injury in the Tigers’ first game against UMass. Keys’ injury ended up requiring surgery with a timeline to return ranging from six to eight weeks.

“Austin, I wanna say… we went over that this morning, I think he’s about three weeks away from them deciding whatever they’re going to do with the cast and the pins,” Freeze said. “So he’s still a ways away before we know about that, I think it’s about three weeks.

The loss of defensive back Keionte Scott was the next domino to fall and another that greatly impacted the Auburn defense.

Scott suffered a high-ankle sprain against Samford on Sept. 16 and underwent a standard tight-rope procedure the following Monday.

“Keionte, I think he’s ahead of schedule with that surgery,” Freeze said Wednesday. “But really couldn’t tell you exactly what we’re looking at there. Hopefully we can get him back towards the end of the year.”

While on the road at Texas A&M two weeks ago, sophomore running back Damari Alston suffered a dislocated shoulder after taking a nasty hit against the Aggies. In Freeze’s press conference the following Monday, he wasn’t yet sure if the running back’s injury would require surgery.

But based on the update provided Wednesday, it sounds like Alston’s was able to avoid going under the knife.

“Damari had a separated shoulder. He looks decent,” Freeze said. “I would expect him back for either LSU or Ole Miss.”

While on the subject of injuries on Wednesday, Freeze continued to ramble off updates, which included the news that starting defensive lineman Mosiah Nasili-Kite would miss the rest of the reason after suffering a torn bicep against No. 1 Georgia on Saturday.

Freeze also addressed the absence of wide receiver Ja’Varrius Johnson on Saturday, saying he was dealing with a lame hamstring.

“He just couldn’t feel like he could run well enough,” Freeze said of Johnson. “He looked pretty decent yesterday, so I’m hopeful he’ll be ready for LSU.”

And finally, Freeze gave an update on veteran safety Jaylin Simpson, who exited Saturday’s game against Georgia in the fourth quarter.

“Obviously we missed him terribly in the fourth quarter. He had done a remarkable job in coverage. And him going out in the fourth quarter against Georgia was really devastating,” Freeze said. “He was better yesterday and better today, but still a ways away. Hopefully he’ll be better for LSU.”

Freeze and the Tigers are slated to have a light week of practice for the remainder of the week before taking the weekend off and ramping things back up next week as Auburn prepares for a trip to Baton Rouge to take on the LSU Tigers.