Joel Embiid out again, but the Sixers All-Star center is closing in on returning from a knee injury

Joel Embiid and Paul George will each miss a fifth straight game injuries to the left knee when the Philadelphia 76ers host Memphis on Saturday night.

The oft-injured Embiid has yet to play this season, though he was a full participant in Friday’s practice, including in 5-on-5 scrimmages with the team. George, who also has to play with one this season bone bruise on his left kneealso participated in full practice and competed with the Sixers.

Embiid skipped the entire preseason and hasn’t played basketball that matters since helping Team USA win gold at the Paris Olympics.

Embiid is officially out of what the 76ers are calling left knee management. He was limited to 39 games last season, mainly due to knee surgery after tearing the meniscus in his left knee on Jan. 30 against Golden State.

“Everyone was on the same page,” Embiid said at the 76ers complex in New Jersey. “If your body doesn’t respond well, and if your body tells you one thing (sit down). I did it. As far as I can tell you, I broke my face twice, I came back early with the I’m still walking I always run the risk of losing my sight. When I see people saying he doesn’t want to play, I’ve done way too much for this city, and I run the risk of people saying that.”

Embiid’s absence from the season opener raised suspicion in the NBAand the league fined the team $100,000 on Tuesday for public statements, including from president of basketball operations Daryl Morey and from coach Nick Nurse, that were inconsistent with Embiid’s health status and violated NBA rules, including the league’s player participation policy. It ruled that the participation policy had not been violated.

Embiid was the No. 3 pick in the 2014 draft but missed his first two full seasons due to injuries. Since his first full season in 2016, Embiid has played in 433 of a possible 805 regular season games and just 59 of a possible 67 playoff games.

Embiid sprained his right knee in the 2023 playoffs, costing him games against Brooklyn and Boston. He missed two second-round games in 2022 and another first-round match in 2021 with various injuries, on top of the two he missed to start the 2018 playoffs with an orbital fracture and another in 2019, also with a knee problem.

“I wish I was as lucky as others,” Embiid said. “But that doesn’t mean I’m not trying and I’m not doing whatever it takes to try to be here, which I will be doing soon.”

Embiid added that he has no regrets about playing in the Olympics. He could return for the Sixers’ three-game West Coast swing, which starts Monday against Phoenix.

“I think it’s really comfortable and trusting,” Embiid said. “I want to be at my best. I don’t want to be in a situation where I’m afraid if I do something or anything I’ll get hurt again. I’ve mentioned it since my last operation, mentally it was probably the toughest. Mentally I’m working on regaining that confidence. In the past it was just easy.”