By Brandon Apter, Sports Talk Philly Editor
Before the Philadelphia 76ers played their preseason finale against the Miami Heat on Friday, the team gave some medical updates on injured players, with Nerlens Noel to have a minor surgery in the coming days due to an inflamed plica in his knee. Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports the Sixers center will miss three to five weeks after surgery, which will take place on Monday.
Dr. Riley Williams and Dr. Steve O’Brien will scope the area during a 10-minute procedure. Noel, who’s been sidelined since Oct. 6, is expected to be sidelined an additional three to five weeks.
A plica is a fold of synovial membrane most commonly in the anteromedial aspect of the knee.
According to the Sixers official release, during the normal course of evaluation and treatment for Noel's left adductor strain, which was identified on October 6, Noel reported localized soreness in his left knee. After consulting with multiple specialists, the source of the soreness was identified as inflamed plica. Noel has elected to address the injury via a minor surgical procedure.
Noel played in just one preseason game for the Sixers, scoring six points on 3-for-8 shooting in their opener against Boston.