Joel Embiid injury update for 76ers on Sunday

The Philadelphia 76ers have a big road matchup ahead of them on Sunday night against one of their biggest rivals, the Boston Celtics. But they're going to have to get a win without one of their best players. (So will the Celtics, to be clear.)

Starting 76ers center Joel Embiid, who suffered an oblique injury in the late stages of a win over the Miami Heat on Friday night, will officially miss Sunday night's tilt in Boston. Embiid is averaging a robust 26.6 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 3.9 assists this year, but has played in just 33 of the 76ers' 59 games to this point.

Still, it's encouraging to see the former MVP return to this sort of high-caliber play. The 76ers are a different team when Embiid plays like a star, which could give them a real shot to win a weak-on-paper Eastern Conference.

When might Joel Embiid return to the 76ers' lineup?

As it stands, Embiid will reportedly miss the 76ers' next three games, at minimum. That includes Sunday night's battle with the Celtics, a Tuesday home game against the San Antonio Spurs, and a Wednesday home game against the Utah Jazz. After that, Embiid could play on Saturday night on the road against the Atlanta Hawks. If the 76ers elect to be more cautious with their star big man while giving him more time to recover, a road matchup on the following Monday against the Cleveland Cavaliers would also make sense for a return.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: Joel Embiid injury update: When is 76ers star coming back?