It seems that the Boston Celtics will be without one of their reinforcements for the upcoming 2022-23 season indefinitely. After signing a two-year, $13.3 million contract with the Celtics last month, Danilo Gallinari suffered a non-contact knee injury while competing for Italy in a FIBA World Cup qualifier on Saturday.

On Sunday, during Italy’s FIBA World Cup qualification game, Gallinari was first diagnosed with a damaged meniscus in his left knee. However, subsequent investigation revealed that Gallinari had a torn ACL in his left knee, so the Celtics made an announcement.

While there is no official word on when the Italian will be back, tearing an ACL may set a player back about a year. The forward’s 2013 ACL tear sidelined him for the whole 2013–2014 season since it occurred in the same knee.

What Danilo Gallinari said of his injury

“This has been a tough week for me as I learned the extent of my injury, This game means everything to me, and not being able to be on the court with my Celtics teammates hurts. I plan to give everything I can to the Celtics organization and my teammates as we hunt for a title.

“I will work tirelessly with the Celtics staff to return to the court as soon as I can and I appreciate the unwavering support from the fans, my teammates, and the entire NBA family.”