The Philadelphia 76ers have hoped to get Joel Embiid back in action as he battles a foot injury. Unfortunately, the big man suffered a setback in his troublesome left knee that will sideline him for at least three more games.

The medical update from the 76ers reads as follows: “Joel Embiid participated in an on-court workout yesterday after missing the last six games due to a left foot sprain. While the foot sprain has healed, Embiid experienced an increase in swelling in his left knee following the workout. After consulting with team medical staff and external doctors, Embiid will receive treatment in the coming days to address the swelling. As a result, he will be OUT for the upcoming road trip and re-evaluated in approximately 7-10 days.”

Joel Embiid to miss at least three more games due to knee issues

The 76ers play the Indiana Pacers on Saturday, the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday and the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday. Their next home game after this trip is next Friday against the Cleveland Cavaliers, which is the front end of a back-to-back where they hit the road again to play the Chicago Bulls the next day.

Embiid has missed six straight games with this foot sprain and was seemingly out of the woods with the knee issues that caused him to miss games earlier in the season. He played through the sprain, an injury that was considered day-to-day, for four games. Once the Sixers conclude their three-game road trip, Embiid will have only appeared in 13 of their 42 games.

The 76ers may soon choose to tank the rest of the season by shutting Embiid down if the big man can’t stay healthy. His knee has given him lots of problems since he injured it in a loss to the Golden State Warriors last January. The big man needs time to recover and the Sixers' first-round pick is only top-six protected, so allowing the team to lose the rest of the season will probably be more beneficial than trying to salvage the rest of the season.