Joel Embiid injury update: Sixers star could return Friday vs. Charlotte after practicing with a mask on

Joel Embiid suffered a sinus fracture a week ago, but the Philadelphia 76ers star might only miss a game and a half as a result of the injury. Ahead of the Sixers’ game against the Charlotte Hornets on Friday, Embiid is listed as questionable. 

The injury occurred late in the second quarter during Philadelphia’s 121-107 loss against the Indiana Pacers last Friday. Due to the NBA Cup, the Sixers have only played once since then: On Monday, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George scored a combined 73 points on 25-for-48 shooting in a 121-108 win in Charlotte.

After Philadelphia practiced on Thursday, center Andre Drummond said that he expected Embiid to be in the lineup against the Hornets … then backtracked when he realized the team had not announced anything on the subject.

“I’m sure Jo will be back tomorrow,” Drummond told reporters.

Drummond said that Embiid “looked fine in practice the past two days” and had played 5-on-5. He clarified, though, that, while Embiid “looks ready to me,” it will be up to Embiid and the medical staff to determine whether or not he’s comfortable returning.

“He’s been moving around, he wore his mask,” Drummond said, “so whatever the team doctors say for [Friday] — I didn’t say it here first, so I take back what I said. If they didn’t tell you, then I have no idea, either. I think he looks fine. That’s what I think.”

Embiid has played a total of 176 minutes in six games this season. He missed the Sixers’ first nine games because of a combination of left knee injury management and a suspension for shoving a columnist in the locker room. He made his season debut on Nov. 12 against the New York Knicks, missed Philadelphia’s next game because it was the second night of a back-to-back, then appeared in its next three games before having to sit out again because of swelling in his left knee. Embiid missed the Sixers’ next seven games, then scored 31 points in a win against the Chicago Bulls on Dec. 8, only to suffer a totally unrelated injury in their next game.

The Sixers are 8-16 on the season and 12th in the Eastern Conference despite having won three of their last four games and five of their last seven. Philadelphia’s three stars — Embiid, George and Maxey — have only logged 45 minutes together, spread over three games (Nov. 20 against the Memphis Grizzlies, then the win in Chicago and the sinus-fracture game). 

“We can’t control injuries,” Drummond said. “We can’t control guys being out of the game. So we have to work with what we have, and thankfully Paul is back and fully healthy, so he’s a big help for us.” 

The Sixers “should have a full-strength roster tomorrow, and we’ll go from there,” Drummond said. “I mean, our goal is to wrap these guys in bubble wrap to keep them safe from injuries, man, ’cause we need everybody. So just looking forward to a great game [Friday], looking forward to having everybody back and really trying to build this chemistry.”

Unfortunately for Philadelphia, it will not be at full strength in a literal sense for some time. Guard Jared McCain, who might have been on his way to winning Rookie of the Year, is out indefinitely after having surgery on Wednesday to repair a torn lateral meniscus in his left knee. Forward Caleb Martin, who missed the Sixers’ last two games because of a right shoulder impingement, practiced on Thursday, but, as of Friday afternoon, is listed as out against the Hornets.