Syracuse starting running back Curtis Brinkley will miss Saturday’s Spring Game due to a right knee injury that will require arthroscopic surgery, SU head coach Greg Robinson revealed Wednesday.

Brinkley is the second SU running back to succumb to injury this week. On Saturday, Delone Carter, then the No. 1 running back, dislocated his hip, and he will miss the 2007 season.

It is the second arthroscopic knee surgery Brinkley will undergo in four months. In January, Brinkley had similar surgery on his left knee.

The rising junior tweaked his knee during Saturday’s practice, Robinson said. An MRI revealed slight cartilage damage to Brinkley’s knee. As a result, Brinkley sat out recent practices and will miss the annual Spring Game to receive the scope.

Brinkley and Robinson remained optimistic about Brinkley’s chances to return healthy in time for the fall. Robinson expects this injury also to take about seven or eight weeks to heal. He said the recovery for Brinkley’s right knee should not be as intensive as it was for the left.

‘I think in Curtis’ case, he’ll be back in days walking around,’ Robinson said. ‘I would like to believe he can be back pretty soon.’

Brinkley did not mention he would have to undergo surgery on his knee. He repeatedly referred to his knee problem as an injury he needed simply to have ‘looked at’ by doctors before he could play.

Then a reporter asked Brinkley about his plans for Saturday’s game. He paused. It was the question he did not want to hear.

‘Um … I ain’t playing,’ Brinkley said.

Brinkley told the crowd of reporters surrounding him that it even hurts to walk but that he expects to be ready come August.

‘Ain’t nothing going to be affecting me next season,’ Brinkley said. ‘I’m going to be 100 percent.’

Rising junior Paul Chiara will be thrust into the starting role for this weekend’s contest. Chiara said Brinkley told him he would not be playing this morning, after Chiara asked how Brinkley’s knee was holding up.

‘Obviously no one’s happy about it,’ Chiara said. ‘(Carter and Brinkley are) two friends of mine – and obviously everyone’s friends on the team. It’s a rough time for them and us. It’s two big losses for us on the team.’

Tony Fiammetta, Derrell Smith and Daniel Bailey also would receive time at running back Saturday, Robinson said. Smith, former running back who was converted to linebacker at Syracuse, practiced at his former position for the first time Wednesday. Both Fiammetta, the team’s fullback, and Bailey, wide receiver who was converted to tailback, also will be playing out of position.

Robinson said he does not believe the team is snake-bitten with the loss of the team’s starting running backs. It had been speculated Carter and Brinkley would share the starting role next season.

‘It’s not the same as Delone’s situation, as well,’ Robinson said. ‘Any time anybody’s got an injury it’s a concern, but I don’t think it’s one that’s a major problem. But it’s one that needs to be deterred.’

Published on April 18, 2007 at 12:00 pm