The Washington Wizards, already without starting point guard Gilbert Arenas, learned Saturday that they will be without his backup Antonio Daniels for the next two-to-four weeks.

Daniels, who filled in for Arenas after the All-Star underwent knee surgery last month, sustained a sprained medial collateral ligament in the second quarter of the Wizards' 104-91 victory at Miami on Thursday.

Daniels has started the last 14 games in place of Arenas. In that time Daniels, an 11-year-veteran, has averaged 11.0 points, 6.6 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game.

The injury will force the Wizards to start Roger Mason at point guard. Mason is not a true point guard, but the University of Virginia product has been playing that position to some degree with the second unit.

Daniels becomes the third starter the Wizards have lost this season; now the team has just nine healthy players.

Center Etan Thomas was lost indefinitely at the start of the season when after undergoing open-heart surgery. Shortly after that Arenas, who missed the end of the regular season and the playoffs last season after suffering a torn Meniscus in his left knee, underwent another surgery on the same knee last month.

The Wizards had hoped rookie forward/center Oleksiy Pecherov would be back by now after suffering a fractured right ankle. However, the fracture has not healed and Pecherov isn’t expected to be available to the team until at least the middle of January.

-- John N. Mitchell