On a day when Dylan Moses injury headlines dominated the college football news cycle, Nick Saban stepped to the podium for his weekly Wednesday chat with the press.

After a brief opening about the progress entering Saturday’s game with Duke, Saban addressed the topic of the day.

For the third time this month, a starter/major contributor was lost for the season with a lower leg injury suffered on the practice field. Moses joined running back Trey Sanders and fellow-starting middle linebacker Joshua McMillon on the list nobody wants to make.

The fact all three injuries occurred before the season opener loomed.

“I guess I’m always the guy that has to make a decision as to whether we practice or we don’t practice,” Saban said Wednesday evening. “If we practice, we have a chance to be good. If we don’t practice, I don’t see how we can get any execution.

“So, there’s risk/reward in everything you do.”

Moses was injured Tuesday as Alabama practiced indoors ahead of the 2:30 p.m. CT Saturday opener with Duke in Atlanta. Earlier in camp, Saban said they took precautions to hold players with minor injuries out of full-contact scrimmages after McMillon was hurt in one a week earlier.

“I don’t think football is a dangerous game,” Saban said Aug. 16 after the second scrimmage, “but you have to do it correctly. You have to play safely. You have to keep your face up. You can’t put your head down. That’s going to enhance head injuries. Wearing the right kind of shoes can help foot and ankle injuries.”

Moses’ Tuesday injury will require surgery, Saban said earlier Wednesday.

“I think it’s a character check for Dylan in terms of the support that we want to give him and the adversity that he has to overcome,” Saban said. “But it’s also a character check for everybody on our team to be able to keep the faith, to respond to adversity the way they need to, to accept the challenge and to rise above the challenge. Support each other. Support the young players who are going out to play and to go from there. That’s the only choice we have.”

True freshman Shane Lee will step into the role Moses occupied as the Mike middle linebacker playing alongside freshman Christian Harris.

Michael Casagrande is an Alabama beat writer for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @ByCasagrande or on Facebook.