The Bayou Bengals got a little stronger as LSU coach Les Miles announced sophomore running back Spencer Ware and sophomore cornerbacks Tyrann Mathieu and Tharold Simon’s return to the team Tuesday after a one-week hiatus.

Miles said the players were not suspended, but rather “withheld from play,” and added that he expects them to play in the next week’s showdown at No. 2 Alabama.

“If they continue to do the things they’re doing, we would anticipate that they would play,” Miles said. “[The decision] is certainly one in conjunction with the rules and regulations of the school and institution. We’ve operated as this discipline would be internal and that we would handle it in that way, and our guys have returned to practice.”

Miles left the possibility open that the players may not return for the Nov. 5 clash with Alabama, but called the idea “heavy-handed.”

“I don’t recall that I ever suspended them,” Miles said. “We’re not going to live on deadlines in any way. We’re practicing and preparing them to play and operating along that way. They enjoyed being with their team, [they] worked hard, [were] missed.”

MILES DISCUSSES TEAM INJURIES

The Tigers should be at full strength in the coming days as they approach one of the most pivotal matches of the college football season.

Miles said junior center P.J. Lonergan, who went down with a leg injury Oct. 8 and missed last week’s contest with Auburn, practiced Tuesday and will likely return for the Alabama game.

“[Lonergan] practiced the whole time,” Miles said. “He really could have played Saturday, but it just worked out that we didn’t need him.”

On the defensive line, Miles said starting senior defensive end Ken Adams, who also missed Saturday’s game with a bum knee, will be expected to practice soon and should be good to play Nov. 5 against Alabama.

“[Adams] is a little nicked, but he’ll be fine,” Miles said. “We worked him out today. [We] did not give him snaps, but he’s much improved and he’ll be getting snaps here pretty quick.”