Illinois forward David Mirkovic finally offered a public look at where things stand with his foot injury, and the update came with a reassuring detail: he was in Rosemont, Illinois, on Thursday without a boot on his foot.
Mirkovic has been out since early August after undergoing surgery and an extended recovery process. Illinois coach Brad Underwood has already given several updates along the way, but this was the first time Mirkovic himself spoke about the rehab in public. He didn’t give a return date, but he made clear the process is moving in the right direction.
“Right now, I’m in a really great spot,” said Mirkovic. “Just listening to the doctor, listening to Justin Games, our athletic trainer.
Just keep working every day, getting it better. And I would say I’m in a great spot right now with it.”
That leaves his availability for the start of the 2026-27 season still unresolved, though his presence at Big Ten media day suggested he is making progress. Illinois opens Nov. 2 against Fairleigh Dickinson, and Mirkovic’s return before then remains possible.
The schedule ramps up fast after that. Texas Tech comes on Nov. 10, followed by Duke on Nov. 17, and those games could become a much tougher ask if Mirkovic is still sidelined. If he’s healthy, though, Illinois could be in position to make a serious early-season statement.
Mirkovic also talked about how his summer went when he was on the floor.
“Coach has a lot of trust in me,” Mirkovic said. “They let me play, basically.
They gave me freedom. This summer, I was on the ball for a long time.
They helped me out, improve at that, involve my teammates.”
That kind of freedom is part of what makes Illinois such a sell for prospects, and it also fits the role Mirkovic is expected to play once he’s back. The expectation around him has not changed despite the injury: he’s still viewed as the centerpiece of the Illini offense moving forward, and the belief remains that once he returns, he’ll look like an All-American-caliber player in Champaign.
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