Yao Ming of the Houston Rockets suffered a stress fracture located on his left ankle and his team said that there is no exact time for the return of the 7’6’’ center whose career in NBA maybe jeopardized due to his series of injuries.

Yao was off the game since November 10th when he first got a bone bruise located on the same ankle. On Thursday, a stress fracture was confirmed after an MRI was performed.

The seven-time All-Star player remained on bench during the previous season following a surgery to reconstruct his left broken foot. His team said his latest injury is linked to the previous one and was found during the course of his rehab.

Yao said that he was doing his best to get back on the game but the latest news disappoints him. He said that he needs some time to converse with his physicians to know his options moving forward.

Yao Ming was the overall top draft pick during 2002 while he began to have injury problems during the 2005-2006 season. He was a consistent player and considered as one of the most valuable and distinguished ambassadors in the NBA.

The player’s return for 2010-2011 season back in June was a big selling point for general manager Morey since he began courting big-name free agents.

In seven seasons, he has an average score of 19.1 points with 9.3 rebounds. He missed a minimum of 25 games during the straight three seasons from 2005 to 2008.