76ers vs. Bulls: Joel Embiid's Injury Status on Saturday

Since the start of the 2022-2023 NBA season, Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid has been in an uphill battle to get fully healthy and in optimal shape. After undergoing two surgeries in the offseason, recovering from a facial injury, and battling plantar fasciitis, Embiid is slowly working his way back to normal.

After Wednesday’s loss against the Toronto Raptors, Embiid offered a positive update on his recent health following an impressive 31-point performance.

“Each game, I’ve been getting better,” said Embiid. “I’m feeling great. I feel like I’m almost back to myself. You can tell by the progression from the second game until now. I’m starting to really look a little bit like myself. I got a long way to go, but we don’t have time, and I don’t have time. I gotta do whatever is necessary to win games.”

Although Embiid had an optimistic update on his health following Wednesday’s game, the big man was added to the 76ers’ injury report on Friday afternoon as the Sixers prepared to take on the Toronto Raptors for a rematch.

According to the injury report, Embiid was out due to “right knee injury recovery.” Sixers head coach Doc Rivers mentioned the big man’s knee was sore before the game. Considering Friday’s game was the first matchup of a back-to-back, Embiid’s absence felt inevitable on Friday night.

Sure enough, the Sixers ruled out the All-Star center less than an hour before tip-off. Without Embiid, the Sixers found success against the Toronto Raptors. With a 112-90 victory, the Sixers advanced to 2-4 on the year. Now, they are set to face the Chicago Bulls on Saturday night.

Although Embiid missed Friday’s matchup, he’s on pace to make his return to the court on Saturday, as the Sixers left him off the injury report. Barring any unexpected setbacks before game time at 8 PM, Embiid is set to make his return to the floor in Chicago.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.