Michigan State defensive lineman Ben Roberts is listed as a game-time decision for Saturday’s matchup against Washington.
The “availability report released by the Big Ten” confirmed that both Roberts and cornerback Tre Bell will be evaluated closer to kickoff.
Roberts, the Spartans’ starting nose tackle, has been recovering from an injury sustained during an Oct. 24 game against UCLA.
Following the team’s recent victory over Michigan, “Pat Fitzgerald said he expects all of his injured players to have a chance to play” if medically cleared.
The status of Bell remains uncertain as he continues to recover from an upper body injury that has sidelined him for three consecutive games.
In more positive news for the Spartans, quarterback Cam Fancher and cornerback Charles Brantley have been cleared for play.
Both players were officially upgraded and removed from the injury report earlier this week.
Meanwhile, running back Jaziun Patterson will miss his third straight contest due to injury.
The visiting Huskies are expected to have star quarterback Demond Williams Jr. on the field after he was upgraded to probable.
The game, which was delayed 75 minutes due to a “FAA ground stop in Seattle”, is now scheduled for a 5:30 p.m. kickoff.
Flight trackers indicated the Washington team arrived in Lansing in the early hours of the morning.
ESPN Analytics currently assigns Washington a 51.5% probability of winning the matchup.
Michigan State enters the contest as a 3.5-point underdog despite the momentum from their recent win over rival Michigan.
Fans and analysts alike are closely watching the situation as the medical staff prepares to finalize the roster for the evening showdown.
The outcome will have significant implications for both programs as they navigate the remainder of their conference schedule.