This season is turning out to be a nightmare for the Philadelphia 76ers, with one of the key reasons for their slump being the growing injury list. There were high hopes after Joel Embiid expressed his willingness to endure a punch if necessary to get on the court, but those hopes have been dashed due to the big man’s health struggles. Now once again it has become a concern for the franchise as they return home with a 2-0 road trip.

According to the latest updates from the Sixers insider Keith Pompey, both Embiid and Paul George are ruled out from Wednesday night’s fixture against the Orlando Magic. The 7-foot center will miss the game due to his left knee injury, while George hasn’t recovered from his own left knee injury. This will be the sixth straight game that Embiid will miss because of his injury. This season, consistency has been a challenge for him again, as he has only played in four games so far.

Unlike Embiid, the 9-time All-Star has shown more consistency, carrying the team with his eight appearances. And following the two back-to-back victories with him and Tyrese Maxey leading the herd, the former’s absence is certainly a blow to the Sixers.

Although George appeared eager to participate in the upcoming game, as he stated after the win against the Hornets, “I want to play. I’m a little sore so I’ll see how I feel in the morning, but 100% want to play. Especially, with how we’re playing right now. Absolutely.” However, the organization chose not to take any risks. Having seen how the team performed without Embiid last season, they didn’t want to lose George’s veteran presence too.

Joining them on the injury list is the team’s newbie Andre Drummond because of a sprain in his right ankle and Kyle Lowry, who is out with a right hip injury. Despite the heartbreaking injury list, good news is waiting for the Sixers around the corner.

Joel Embiid is on the verge of returning amid criticism

Joel Embiid’s absence has clearly impacted the Sixers, as reflected in their 5-14 record this regular season. Initially, it was his left knee that troubled him, the same one he operated last season. Then the team cited a personal reason, and now, once again, it’s his knee causing issues.

This led to criticisms his way and one of them came from Celtics star Jaylen Brown. After defeating the Heat, Brown said in a postgame press conference, “We put our best foot forward whoever’s out there. … As you are looking to do something special, these are the moments you accept.” Then he boldly put forward his remark, “It’s hard for teams to be great if some of their best players never play back-to-backs.” And by the looks of it, it seems the comment was directed at both Embiid and Jimmy Butler.

Sure, the Cameroonian did not participate in consecutive games but his presence hasn’t flipped the script for the franchise either. Despite contributing 19.8 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, the Sixers were unable to secure a win in any of those games. Still, there’s no doubt that the team needs him. According to Tim Bontemps of ESPN, Embiid has begun his ramp-up process and could soon be seen suiting up again. While his return date hasn’t been confirmed, the Philly side will certainly hope that it won’t be a short period this time.