MANILA, Philippines – The injury bug has claimed another Gilas Pilipinas victim.

Star guard Roger Pogoy bared he is likely to miss the Philippines’ two-game home stand in the sixth and final window of the FIBA World Cup after hurting his left ankle while playing for TNT in the PBA Governors’ Cup.

Pogoy said he has to sit out for one to two weeks, a period that will cover Gilas Pilipinas’ game against Lebanon and Jordan on February 24 and 27, respectively, at the Philippine Arena in Bulacan.

“They said that it is a bone bruise,” said Pogoy in Filipino on Sunday, February 19. “It really hurts. It is not the swelling that hurts but the inside of the bone.”

“So I feel like I need to rest. I cannot play this week.”

The absence of Pogoy adds to the Philippines’ personnel woes as its frontline took a hit, with big men Japeth Aguilar and Kai Sotto also sidelined for the sixth window.

Aguilar is out for three to five more weeks due to a knee injury, while Sotto got ruled out by national team head coach Chot Reyes for his non-commitment.

“If it is just swelling, I can play,” said Pogoy. “I played through an injury like this before, but now, I cannot just shake it off.”

Pogoy waxed hot for the league-leading Tropang Giga in their first seven games in the Governors’ Cup, averaging 22.6 points and capping that stretch with a 40-point explosion against Blackwater last February 15.

But the Cebuano gunner went down with the ankle injury the next game against Meralco on Friday, February 17, and missed their 105-103 escape versus San Miguel on Sunday.

“It would have been nice to play in our homecourt,” said Pogoy. – Rappler.com