You saw the official press release yesterday. And most likely, you heard the breaking news before the release went out- Illinois sophomore forward David Mirkovic underwent successful surgery today in Indianapolis after suffering a left foot injury during a team workout in Champaign on July 31.
So when will the Niksic, Montenegro native and extremely colorful character be back?
6-8 weeks.
Yes, according to various reports, Mirkovic is expected to be out 6-8 weeks, although the school itself did not provide a timeline.
And having the Mirkovic injury happen right now, in the middle of the summer, is the best news that we could possibly hear on this front. It would be much worse if it had occurred during the season.
The Illini program did not give any specifics as to what the exact injury is, or how severe the injury is, but the release did say that “He is expected to make a full recovery.”
Exclusive with David Mirkovic: Part 1 Part 2
Mirkovic is not just a contender for Big Ten preseason player of the year. He’ll be on the national preseason player of the year short lists too. He might be the most important player on this Illini basketball team, as he averaged 13.3 points, a team-leading 8.0 rebounds and 2.6 assists last season.
Mirkovic was anmed to the South All-Region Team during March Madness last year, helping the Illini to their first Final Four appearance in 21 years.
If the 6-8 weeks timeline is correct, Mirkovic would be returning to the court at some point in mid-to-late-September. Most likely it will be late September to early October that he would be full go then.
With that in mind, the first exhibition game always comes in mid-to-late-October, which would provide Mirkovic lots of time to return to 100% full game fitness.
Even if he isn’t up to speed by then, the 2026-27 season opener, typically against a low-major or mid-major opponent, would be early November.
Even if Mirkovic has to miss that, it’s not the end of the world. This is a preseason top five Illini basketball team.
They will be just fine, even without Mirkovic for the early season buy games against the weaker, more obscure opponents.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, Ratings and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.