Nick Saban said on his Thursday night radio show, “Hey Coach,” that defensive starters Deontae Lawson and safety Jaylen Key are “very questionable” to play on Saturday when the Crimson Tide face Kentucky on the road.

According to Bama247’s Mike Rodak, neither player practiced on Thursday. Should they both miss the game in Lexington, it would mark the first time all season Alabama has gone into a game without multiple starters on the defensive side of the football.

“We’ve been pretty fortunate this year,” Saban said on his Thursday night radio show. “This is probably the game where we’ll be a little more banged up than we’ve been in most.

“… It’s going to be an opportunity for some other guys to step up for our team in this particular game.”

Lawson missed the Mississippi State game on Sept. 30. The sophomore linebacker ranks second on the Tide defense with 52 total tackles this season. He also has 3.5 tackles for loss, two pass breakups, and two sacks this season.

Key is third in tackles. The safety has 46 stops this year to go with 1.5 TFLs, a pass breakup, and an interception.

No. 8 Alabama meets Kentucky at noon ET on Saturday. The game will be carried on ESPN.