ATHENS — Georgia coach Kirby Smart said tailback D’Andre Swift is coming along, but he’s “banged up” with his left shoulder injury.

“He’s been out there doing what we ask him to do, he’s practicing,” Smart said after Tuesday’s practice. “Banged up, it’s tough, but he’s a warrior, he’s a fighter, and we’re expecting him to be able to go, and he’s practicing.”

The No. 4-ranked Bulldogs (11-1) play No. 2 LSU (12-0) at 4 p.m. on Saturday in the SEC Championship Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Swift, UGA’s leading rusher, left the Georgia Tech game last Saturday in the third quarter after fumbling and went to the injury tent. The junior emerged several minutes later with an ice pack on his left shoulder.

Smart revealed Swift has been playing with the injury and had aggravated it earlier in the 52-7 win over the Yellow Jackets.

“It was earlier in the game, and he continued to play, and it began to hurt more and more and more after that,” Smart said. “That was kind of the culmination of that, on that play, where it was bothering him more.

“He’s had a banged up shoulder a lot of the year ….. He has played with it and dealt with it,” Smart said. “He’s been dealing with it well, and it came to a head on Saturday because he had a couple hits where he did fall on it and it bothered him.”

The Bulldogs will also be without their two leading receivers at the start of the game.

Senior graduate transfer Lawrence Cager underwent ankle surgery last Friday.

Freshman George Pickens is suspended for the first half of the game after getting ejected in the third quarter against Georgia Tech for fighting last Saturday.

Pickens was suspended for the first half of the Yellow Jackets game for an unspecified violation of team rules.

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