The Montreal Alouettes held their final home practice of the season Thursday afternoon. Injuries to key players in the squad once again became the main topic.
There are only two days left until the Eastern final. Defensive tackle Mustafa Johnson, left guard Pierre-Olivier Lestage and wide receiver Austin Mack remained limited with varying projections.
Mack, recovering from a leg injury, was fully dressed but did not participate in any first-team action and was listed as questionable on the final injury report. However, the Fort Wayne, Indiana native is confident he will play against Hamilton.
“Yeah, I'm ready to go. I'm good,” Mac said. 3DownNation when asked about his status after training.
Mack is looking to build on his performance after last week's win over Winnipeg in the Eastern semi-finals. He finished that game with three catches for 98 yards, including the highlight reel, and believes momentum is on his side.
“Yeah, I feel it. I think the biggest thing for me is staying on the field, being on the field, playing,” he said. “I just felt the momentum. Our team, we have the momentum. Now we need to finish this run.”
After not practicing on Tuesday and Wednesday, Lestage did a limited number of reps at the end of Thursday's practice. He is listed as available on the Alouette injury report.
The outlook is less positive for Johnson, who is recovering from a shoulder injury suffered in the final game of the regular season. He worked with therapists on Thursday and did not wear a helmet at any time during practice, receiving a questionable assignment for Saturday.
“I don’t know if I’ll play yet,” he said. 3DownNation with a little laugh. “I feel a lot better. Things are getting better, I just need to take care of my body and take it day by day.”
Johnson has played just seven games this season after suffering an injury late in 2024. His impact was felt on the field with two sacks and nine defensive tackles, and the Colonel Aurora player just wants to stay healthy.
“It’s extremely frustrating, especially when it happens,” he said. “It's part of the game, it is what it is. I just need to keep my head up and be there for the guys.”
The Montreal Alouettes (11-8) will face the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (11-7) in the Eastern final at Hamilton Stadium on Saturday, November 8, with tipoff scheduled for 3:00 pm ET.
The Montreal weather forecast calls for temperatures of up to 7 degrees with sunny and cloudy skies.
