(Orlando) Philadelphia 76 ^{ers full} -back Ben Simmons, who was injured Wednesday in the win over the Washington Wizards, suffered a dislocated left kneecap that puts him on his side for an indefinite period , his team announced Thursday.

Simmons had a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan which further revealed that the ligaments were not affected. A diagnosis less serious than feared, which acts his forfeit for the next game against the Orlando Magic on Friday, but casts a shadow over the rest of his season.

A long-term absence would be a big blow to the 76 ^ers , with the prospect of the playoffs starting in eleven days.

Simmons was injured on an insignificant action, after a pass to Al Horford, following a rebound and a slow recovery of the ball.

He took advantage of the interruption of the season due to the coronavirus to treat a back injury contracted on February 22 which would have made him miss the rest of the championship if it had gone as planned.

On the occasion of the Disney World takeover, the 24-year-old who averages 16.4 points, 8 assists and 7.8 rebounds this season, has been promoted to an unusual winger position, to allow the youngster Shake Milton to be the starting point.