The Utah Jazz are on their NBA road trip now. They’ll have a pitstop at Ball Arena on Saturday. Simply put, Jordan Clarkson & Co. will face the Denver Nuggets. However, the final injury report out of Utah isn’t great. Their Finnish power forward, Lauri Markkanen‘s presence in the game is doubtful once again. And well, this has everything to do with the back injury that kept him benched against the Spurs too.

The 27-year-old NBA All-Star and several other players will be benched on Saturday. However, the Jazz received positive news. The team has cleared Collin Sexton, their 25-year-old shooting guard, to return to the floor. Sexton was dealing with a fractured finger on his non-shooting hand. But now it looks like the hooper has received clearance. This means he might start the game against Nikola Jokic & Co. With Jordan Clarkson also sidelined along with Lauri Markkanen, Colling Sexton might be a beacon of hope for the team.

The Utah Jazz are yet to win a game in the 2024/25 NBA Regular Season. But with an injury roster as long as theirs, it is natural to fall behind. Not just Markkanen, but physical ailments have sidelined Isaiah Collier, Taylor Hendricks, and others.

The current injury status of Lauri Markkanen for the Jazz

Lauri Markkanen suffered a back injury at Delta Center on Friday, October 29 against the Sacramento Kings. 14 minutes into the game, the Finnish power forward was forced off the court. Unfortunately, the 27-year-old couldn’t return after halftime as well. Thus the game ended 96-113 with the Kings winning with ease. Therefore Utah is looking for their first win after a 0-5 start to the season. But without Markkanen, going up against the Denver Nuggets– a tough job in hand!

It remains uncertain for now as to when Lauri Markkanen will return to the floor. The one-time NBA All-Star averaged  18.0 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists with splits of 38.5 percent shooting from the field, 45 percent shooting from the three-point line and 85.2 percent shooting from the free-throw line in the first games of the ongoing season. Thus making him an important piece of the starting five. Moreover, other players like Isaiah Collier are out due to his hamstring injury.

The only positive take in his case is Collin Sexton and Keyton George’s return to the court against the Denver Nuggets. Their minor injuries seem to have healed thus the team has cleared them for the game. However, Lauri Markkanen’s presence will be missed. The Utah Jazz fans are waiting for their favorite team to clinch the first win. But with key players out things seem shaky. What will happen next?