January 04, 2026
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Joel Embiid has been rolling of late. Can it last?
Joel Embiid (left knee injury management; right ankle soreness) is probable to play when the Sixers return home and host the Nikola Jokić-less Denver Nuggets on Monday night, according to the team's initial injury report for the game unveiled on Sunday:
The Sixers have an injury report for tomorrow's game vs. Denver:
— Adam Aaronson (@SixersAdam) January 4, 2026
Joel Embiid – left knee injury management; right ankle soreness – PROBABLE
Kelly Oubre Jr. – left knee sprain – OUT
Trendon Watford – left adductor strain – OUT
Embiid's recent availability has been a revelation. After only playing two games in a three-day span once during the first two-plus months of the season, he finished off the Sixers' five-game road trip by playing three games in a five-day span, logging more minutes than he ever had earlier in 2025-26 and continuing to improve as the Sixers found their stride.
Kelly Oubre Jr. has been out since he suffered a left knee LCL sprain on Nov. 14, while Trendon Watford has missed over a month with his left adductor strain. For about a week, it has been clear that both of the rotation forwards were nearing returns to action, with Sixers head coach Nick Nurse saying on Saturday that they were both ready to participate in five-on-five.
While the Sixers did not practice on Sunday – that was to be expected after a road trip that kept them away for nearly two weeks – Nurse indicated on Saturday that the team would likely find a way to get Oubre and Watford some live action.
