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Illinois basketball will officially open its 2026-27 campaign on Monday night against Fairleigh Dickinson (7 p.m. CT, Big Ten) without its preseason All-American David Mirkovic.
Mirkovic, who has been recovering from foot surgery back in early August, appeared poised to miss the game regardless. But after Sunday’s news, we’re learning that it just his foot that will be holding him out from the season opener.
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David Mirkovic undergoes an appendectomy before 2026-27 season
Apr 4, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini forward David Mirkovic (0) is defended by Connecticut Huskies forward Alex Karaban (11) in the first half during a semifinal of the Final Four of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
“Obviously, Mirk is going to be out,” coach Brad Underwood said Sunday in his pregame press conference. “And then he’s had a continued setback, as he had appendicitis – appendix removed last night.
“And so, we don’t know what that means. I can’t give you any further update than that. So, was in an emergency room, having his appendix removed last night. So, obviously that means he won’t be in uniform.”
According to the Cleveland Clinic, a full recovery from an appendectomy takes about six weeks. Obviously, everyone is different. Mirkovic, though, will have top-shelf resources at his disposal throughout his recovery. And, presumably, Mirkovic may also need additional time to ramp up his conditioning (which could extend the timetable for his return to the court).
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A six-week timeline would have Mirkovic targeting a return by approximately mid-December. Again, though, without much detail from Underwood, it’s impossible to know Mirkovic’s exact outlook.
It seems improbable that Mirkovic would return by Nov. 10 for the trip to Texas Tech. The following week – Nov. 17 – at Duke also seems highly unlikely. And a return for the UConn clash in Chicago on Dec. 4 may be…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/illinois-basketballs-david-mirkovic-undergoes-215447820.html
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Publish date : 2026-11-01 21:54:00
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