Milano center Alex Poythress played only six minutes in the EuroLeague game against Asvel on Friday and did not play in the Serie A game on Sunday.
Poythress is dealing with hemiparesis, the inability to move one side of the body. The effect is on the player’s face, revealed head coach Ettore Messina.
“He is sick too. He returned from games in Africa, he has some kind of hemiparesis on his face. It is not known whether it is nerve-related or virus-related. He tried the other night, but he is struggling,” Messina said after the win against Varese.
Poythress played for the Ivory Coast national team during the FIBA international break in February. In three games, he averaged 21 points and 7.3 rebounds, leading his team to three wins in the AfroBasket 2025 qualifiers.
Nikola Mirotic, Shabazz Napier, Stefano Tonut, and Diego Flaccadori also did not play against Varese on Sunday.
“We hope to recover Napier, Mirotic, and Flaccadori for the continuation of practice, while Tonut will need a few more days,” said Messina.
Milano will face Partizan in the next round of the EuroLeague.