Joel Embiid Cleared for Action vs. Nets on Friday

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid has been cleared for action on Friday night. The All-Star big man was listed as questionable heading into the matchup due to knee soreness.

Embiid's no stranger to knee concerns. Early on in his career, Embiid battled through lower-body injuries that kept him off the court and forced him to miss a significant amount of time. Then last year, he had two separate incidents where he went down with notable knee injuries.

The first time came during a regular-season matchup against the Washington Wizards. As Embiid attacked the basket, he awkwardly landed, which caused his knee to buckle. Fortunately, he dodged a major bullet and went on to miss just ten straight games.

His next setback came during the playoffs. Ironically, a similar sequence in Washington during the first round of the postseason led to Embiid tearing his meniscus. He missed the next matchup but battled through the injury and appeared in all seven of the Sixers' matchups against the Atlanta Hawks in round two.

Embiid's been a full participant for the 76ers throughout training camp as he fully recovered from his torn meniscus. He played in two matchups during the preseason and missed the other two games as he received rest nights.

On Wednesday, Embiid trotted out on the court to face the New Orleans Pelicans for the season opener. He checked in for 25 minutes and contributed a team-high of 22 points in the dominant 117-97 victory on the road.

Although his night was over early due to the 76ers having a substantial lead late in the game, the big man was spotted grabbing his knee early in the matchup. Clearly, Embiid was dealing with something minor, but the soreness after the game caused the Sixers to list him as questionable for Friday's matchup.

Fortunately for the Sixers, the star center has been cleared for action and will start against the Nets.

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

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