Alabama men’s basketball is dealing with some injuries ahead of the start of the season.

Crimson Tide coach Nate Oats provided an injury update Thursday on Grant Nelson, Latrell Wrightsell Jr. and Aiden Sherrell. All have practiced this week in some capacity with some restrictions, and Oats expressed different levels of optimism about each one.

“Wrightsell probably is the most furthest along, followed by Sherrell and Grant,” Oats said. “Grant has been on a lot of more things than the other two so far. They’ve all done something the last two days of practice.”

Oats said Nelson, Wrightsell and Sherrell will be game-day decisions.

“I would think Wrightsell should play,” Oats said.

The team will have Friday off and then work Saturday and Sunday.

“See how they recover after today‘s practice,” Oats said. “What they look like tomorrow … see if we can get them in a little bit more Saturday and see where they’re at by Sunday.”

Oats said the team hopes to get all three back and playing Monday, at least on some level. if they do, all three will likely be on some type of a minutes restriction, Oats said.

Nelson, Wrightsell, Sherrell and Chris Youngblood have missed the two exhibition games against Wake Forest and Memphis the past few weeks.

Youngblood is expected to be out with his injury for a while but is expected to return by conference play. “Youngblood‘s not going to be back for at least another month and a half or so,” Oats said. “Sometime in the middle of December is what we’re hoping for with him.”

Nelson and Wrightsell are both returning starters from the Final Four team. Sherrell is a freshman center who was a five-star McDonald’s All-American in high school.

The Crimson Tide will start its sixth season under Oats with a matchup against UNC Asheville on Monday (8 p.m. CT, ESPNU) at Coleman Coliseum.

Nick Kelly is an Alabama beat writer for AL.com and the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X and Instagram.