USC vs. Notre Dame Injury Report: Josh Fatu, Greer Martini out

Both the Trojans and Irish face injury absences for key starters on defense. Here’s the injury report ahead of USC vs. Notre Dame.

Injuries remain a major talking point for USC’s 2017 season with yet another starter slated to miss the Notre Dame game this week. However, it’s not all bad news for the Trojans.

Starting nose tackle Josh Fatu has been ruled out for the weekend because of a concussion, which he suffered during a car accident this week. Freshman Brandon Pili is expected to make his first start in Fatu’s place.

USC did get major good news on Thursday as left tackle Toa Lobendahn and defensive end Rasheem Green returned to practice while right tackle Chuma Edoga got in another day of good work, according to head coach Clay Helton.

USC Injury Report:

• Out for season: DL Kenny Bigelow (retirement), K Michael Brown (knee), CB Greg Johnson (shoulder), LB Tayler Katoa (knee), CB Jonathan Lockett (hip), S Isaiah Pola-Mao (shoulder), OL Viane Talamaivao (pectoral), DL Marlon Tuipulotu (back), WR Keyshawn “Pie” Young (hamstring/redshirt)
• Out: RB Stephen Carr (foot), OLB Hunter Echols (hip), DL Josh Fatu (concussion), OLB Porter Gustin (toe/bicep), Damon Johnson (back/concussion), OT Nathan Smith (knee) 
• Probable: OL Chuma Edoga (ankle), DL Rasheem Green (ankle), TE Daniel Imatorbhebhe (hip), Ronald Jones II (ankle), CB Isaiah Langley (illness), OL Toa Lobendahn (pectoral)

Lobendahn had been held out on Tuesday and Wednesday with a pectoral strain but the Trojans appear to have taken a precautionary approach with his fitness.

The same goes for Green, who was not dressed on Wednesday as he deals with an ankle sprain.

Unfortunately, the Trojans won’t be getting a couple of other big boosts with outside linebacker Porter Gustin and running back Stephen Carr still out.

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Gustin, who has missed four weeks with a broken toe and torn bicep, will continue to be evaluated week to week.

As for Carr, he is still rehabbing a foot injury and needs another week before he returns to action.

Notre Dame Injury Report:

• Out for season: DL Daniel Cage (concussions), WR Freddy Canteen (shoulder), DL Elijah Taylor (foot)
• Out: LB Greer Martini (knee)
• Probable: RB Josh Adams (ankle), RB Tony Jones (ankle), RB Dexter Williams (ankle), QB Brandon Wimbush (foot)

Notre Dame is not without their injury concerns, though the number of them pale in comparison to USC’s.

The most notable concerns starting linebacker Greer Martini, who injured his knee during the Irish’s bye week and was officially been ruled out by Brian Kelly on Thursday, per College Football Talk.

Martini, who is third on the team with 39 tackles this season, is a major miss as a senior presence for Notre Dame at BUCK linebacker. However, his replacement is Te’Von Coney, who is second on the team with 42 tackles.

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This week Kelly also confirmed that backup defensive lineman Elijah Taylor would miss the season with a foot injury which has sidelined him since the spring. The injury was not originally supposed to keep him out more than a few weeks, but months later he remains sidelined, according to Notre Dame DieHards.

The Irish are already without veteran defensive lineman Daniel Cage, who is taking a medical redshirt year due to multiple concussions.

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On the positive side, for Notre Dame at least, their trio of running backs have used the bye week to heal up ankle injuries which have been plaguing them this year. Josh Adams, Tony Jones and Dexter Williams are all 100 percent.