Milan Michalek will not play this weekend, Jason Spezza still on schedule

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The Ottawa Senators have updated the status of forwards Milan Michalek and Jason Spezza.

Ottawa Senators forward Milan Michalek will not be available for this weekend, according to an announcement by the team on Friday afternoon.

Michalek has been dealing with lingering issues with his knee, which forced him to miss ten games. He was able to return for two games, beginning on March 6 against the Toronto Maple Leafs and then played two days later against the New York Rangers. After participating in practice on Sunday, March 10, Michalek was unable to skate the following morning.

Head coach Paul MacLean announced that Michalek had suffered a setback and would be considered day-to-day, which has forced him to miss the last two games, in addition to the two games he is expected to miss this weekend.

The potential concern with this lingering issue is that Michalek already stated he will require knee surgery at the end of the season. Some have wondered if he might require the surgery earlier if these issues continue to keep him out of the lineup.

In addition to updating Michalek, the Senators also announced that forward Jason Spezza remains on track with his recovery from back surgery. Spezza underwent the procedure on Jan. 31.

This update comes two days after an RDS report stated that Spezza might require more time due to a setback. The Senators have insisted that Spezza is still on schedule.