Injury Updates for West Virginia football entering Week 10

After bouncing back with a road win against Arizona, West Virginia football now enters their second bye week of the season. It gives an opportunity for the team to rest up before embarking on their final four-game stretch of the regular season -- and they certainly need it.

The Mountaineers have become plagued by injuries this season -- multiple defensive starters have fallen out of the lineup with each passing week, and the team was missing starting quarterback Garrett Greene and offensive tackle Wyatt Milum during the Arizona game. And despite leaving Tucson with a win, even more players were added to the list of injured athletes following the game.

During his Monday press conference, head coach Neal Brown said that he doesn't have a "true update" on the full injury report for the team, but did his best to keep the fans and media in the loop regarding what he does know regarding injury news.

The most important piece of news surrounds starting defensive lineman Edward Vesterinen is officially out for the season and will be using a redshirt and returning next year. Vesterinen has been dealing with a leg injury that has kept him out since September.

Also still definitively injured is cornerback Ayden Garnes, who has been missing in action since the Iowa State loss. Brown described Garnes is "still out at this point." He also appeared to have little idea when or if fellow defensive back Aubrey Burks, who has been a key veteran for the Mountaineers, will return. Burks has been battling injury issues throughout the year and also last played against Iowa State. Another defensive back, Kekoura Tarnue, was injured in the Arizona win, but Brown said it is too early to tell, and his status will be dependent on how he heals.

Offensively, Greene is "still struggling" with his injury and whether or not he could play in a hypothetical game this week or will be back for the Week 11 Cincinnati road trip is up in the air. Meanwhile, Milum is "making progress" and should be back to practice this week, though his official timetable for a return to in-game action is yet to be determined.

Elsewhere on the offensive line, freshman Kyle Altuner -- who was expected to compete for a spot in the two-deep during his first season but suffered a lower body injury that has kept him out of action since the start of preseason camp -- put pads back on for the first time this week and is expected to be back to practicing for the rest of the season. Whether or not he'll creep into the offensive line rotation, especially with snap struggles continuing recently at the center position, remains to be seen.

Finally, CJ Donaldson Jr. was banged up in the Arizona win, and Brown said the situation on him playing against Cincinnati next week is currently at "see how he does this week" status.