RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 1 sourcesNews ripped through the Illini faithful like wildfire Tuesday afternoon, as the Illinois men’s basketball team announced out of the blue that sophomore forward David Mirkovic underwent surgery on his left foot.
In that same announcement, the team said that Mirkovic sustained an injury during team practice in Champaign on July 31, and the surgery was successful.
Naturally, this is something that has sent the college basketball world into a frenzy, given the fact that the status of a preseason All-American is up in the air.
According to Jeff Goodman and the Field of 68, Mirkovic’s timeline for returning is set at six to eight weeks.
NEW: @GoodmanHoops reacts to David Mirkovic's foot injury, and gives #Illini fans an anticipated timeline 👀 "According to my sources, he'll be out 6-8 weeks." FULL REACTION ⬇️ https://t.co/oCIioamBTV pic.twitter.com/Q1F2RcQlVZ
— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) August 4, 2026
While this hasn’t been confirmed and is just a report, Mirkovic himself took to Instagram to share a message about the surgery.
On his profile @davidmirk0vic, he penned a quick note reading: “Will be back soon,” with an orange heart emoji.
#illini forward David Mirkovic takes to his Instagram (@ davidmirk0vic) to share an update on his status: “Will be back soon 🧡” pic.twitter.com/gpA3WO2Gsi
— Cooper O'Kelly (@cooperokelly) August 4, 2026
If the reports hold up and Mirkovic misses six to eight weeks, that would put his return at roughly a month before the team’s season opener against Fairleigh Dickinson on Nov. 2.
Neither the team nor Illinois Athletics has made any sort of statement regarding their star player’s timetable, so things are still up in the air in this fluid situation.
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