PAO's Ukic expected to miss six weeks

Six-time champion Panathinaikos Athens will begin the new Turkish Airlines Euroleague season without a key starter from last year after the club announced that guard Roko Ukic will miss six weeks with an injury. Ukic, a seven-year Euroleague veteran, returned from national team duty for Croatia with Achilles tendon strains in both feet, the club said. Ukic started 23 of 28 games last season, his second first with the Greens, averaging 8.9 points, 2.8 assists and 2.7 rebounds in 27 minutes per night. He was the third-best scorer for Panathinaikos last seaon and dished the second-most assists on the team. Panathinaikos is the fifth Euroleague team for Ukic, 28. He had previously played for Tau Ceramica (now Laboral Kutxa Vitoria), FC Barcelona, Virtus Roma and Fenerbahce Ulker, with whom he averaged 13.2 points in the 2010-11 season. The club said that Ukic is expeected injury will be reevaluated in one week, but he is expected to miss the start of the Euroleague season.