Joel Embiid Missed Sixers' Sunday Shootaround in Washington

The Philadelphia 76ers are set to take on the Washington Wizards on Sunday night. Lately, the Sixers have dealt with a few setbacks as several key rotational players have been in and out of the lineup due to several reasons.

Fortunately for the Sixers, their top player Joel Embiid has remained relatively healthy lately despite dealing with numerous setbacks throughout the year so far.

On Thursday night, Embiid was present for the Sixers against the Atlanta Hawks. After playing for over 40 minutes a few nights prior against the Boston Celtics, Embiid clocked in for a 36-minute shift against Atlanta.

The Sixers center escaped the Thursday night loss without dealing with any setbacks, but he couldn't avoid an apparent illness while off the court. 

With Friday and Saturday off, the Sixers are slated to return to the court on Sunday. Hours before tip-off, the team participated in a morning shootaround session in D.C. While the Sixers had some players return to the court after being in the NBA's health and safety protocol, they were missing a key player on Sunday morning.

Embiid's Surprising Absence

According to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer, Joel Embiid was not present at the Sixers' shootaround session. Per Pompey's report, the four-time All-Star is currently feeling under the weather.

While Embiid's absence is concerning, Pompey's report doesn't come without promising news. Not only is Embiid dealing with a non-COVID illness, but he's still expected to play against the Wizards on Sunday, barring any setbacks.

For the time being, Embiid isn't listed as questionable on Philly's injury report, which is a good sign. However, his absence on Sunday morning is undoubtedly something to monitor as he's been late scratched out of Philly's lineup on numerous occasions this season.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.