Joel Embiid injury: Latest status of 76ers star for game against Pelicans revealed

The Philadelphia 76ers will face the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday shorthanded, as big man Joel Embiid is listed as out. Embiid will miss the action as he continues to deal with a sprained left foot. The big man will miss his third game in a row due to the same injury.

While Embiid deals with a foot issue, the Sixers star still attended practice. Coach Nick Nurse confirmed that Philly's star player was in practice with the rest of the team on Thursday. However, Andre Drummond, KJ Martin, and Kyle Lowry weren't present in the team activity.

Embiid has appeared in 13 games this season, averaging 24.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 3.8 assists on 32.7% shooting from deep.

George, who missed the action on Wednesday against the Washington Wizards because of a left groin tightness, has been listed as probable for Friday. The All-Star forward has played eight games this season, averaging 16.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.6 assists on 41.4% shooting.

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Olympic star steps up big time in Joel Embiid's absence

The Sixers stole one victory during Joel Embiid's latest two-game absence. On Wednesday, Philly had a 109-103 win, thanks to the heroics of forward Guerschon Yabusele.

The forward had 21 points, eight rebounds, and three assists in the victory. However, his defensive play during the game's final moments sealed the team's victory. Yabusele had two blocks in the game, one of which came late in the fourth. The forward blocked his teammate on the French national team, Bilal Coulibaly.

After the game, the 6-foot-8 forward reacted to his game-winning block to help the Sixers improve their record.

"He was trying to go past me and try to get the layup," Yabusele said. "I just had like a good feeling, you know. I was trying to bump him a little bit so he would lose his balance and was able to get the block."

The Boston Celtics, the franchise that previously had Yabusele, didn't give him any playing time during his stint. In his two seasons with the Celtics, the forward averaged 2.4 rebounds and 2.3 points per game. He makes his comeback in the 2024-25 season after a strong 2024 Olympic performance in Paris.

The team that signed the French forward is making the most of his skills this time around. He has averaged 10.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 35 games with the Sixers.