Derrick Rose Injury Update: Bulls Star out 4-6 Weeks After Meniscus Surgery

There was major concern that Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose would be lost for the remainder of the season after tearing the meniscus in his right knee, but the former NBA MVP is expected to be back this year.

According to Bulls general manager Gar Forman, via Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com, the 26-year-old star underwent successful surgery Friday in a procedure that removed the damaged meniscus:

If all goes well in terms of his recovery, Rose should be able to return to action within four to six weeks:

According to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune, Forman is steadfast in his belief that the three-time NBA All-Star will be back in the fold fairly soon:

Despite the fact that Rose just had surgery, he and the Bulls will waste no time when it comes to preparing for an on-court return. Johnson also noted that "a source close to Rose said Rose is “absolutely on board” with returning to play this season and Rose “expects to be fine.”

Per Friedell, Rose's rehab is set to begin Saturday:

Provided he responds well to that, Rose should be able to resume basketball activities in just one week, according to Vincent Goodwill of Comcast SportsNet Chicago:

The team announced earlier this week that the guard reported with pain in his right knee, though it isn't clear exactly how the injury occurred.

Sekou Smith of NBA.com discussed whether Rose would be any use to the Bulls come playoff time in the following TSN video, saying: "I think the expectations need to be lowered dramatically. And even if you do get him back at some point in the postseason, you have to hope you get some semblance of the All-Star Derrick Rose."

As Bleacher Report's Stephen Nelson notes above, "with a removal the timetable for recovery [is much] shorter than a repair."

Rose hasn't played close to a full season since 2010-11 as he has dealt with myriad knee injuries since then. Prior to going down with the meniscus issue, he was enjoying a solid comeback campaign with per-game averages of 18.4 points, 5.0 assists and 3.1 rebounds.

Bleacher Report's Ric Bucher talks about how Rose's career has been derailed by injuries:

Losing Rose for a month or more is a major negative for the Bulls, but they are currently fourth in the Eastern Conference with an 11.5-game lead over ninth place, which means they are in no danger of missing the postseason.

Regardless of its seed, Chicago will be a major threat in the playoffs provided Rose is back and playing at a high level.

The injury could have been disastrous, but it seems for now that the Bulls managed to dodge a major bullet.

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