Injury to Gandy's knee is new

It was discovered during an MRI on Friday that Gandy had suffered a partial dislocation of the kneecap at practice on Thursday.

The injury proved unrelated to the ACL surgery Gandy underwent in March.

Returning in time for the Vols' season opener Sept. 3 against UAB is unlikely, but he could return in time for a trip to Florida on Sept. 17.

"This is a new injury," Gandy said in a UT release. "It has nothing to do with the ACL reconstruction I had in the spring.

"Regardless of whether or not I had undergone ACL surgery, this injury would have occurred."

Gandy had shown amazing progress from the ACL injury suffered playing an intramural basketball game in February.

UT coach Phillip Fulmer was hopeful Gandy would be available for the UAB game, but the setback occurred Thursday when his left knee was rolled over during a live scrimmage drill.

Gandy had been cleared to scrimmage by his surgeon, the Tennessee orthopedic medical staff and UT physical therapist Jason McVeigh.

"He had been doing well," head athletic trainer Keith Clements said. "This is an unrelated incident, but we're very fortunate because the MRI revealed no damage to the reconstructed anterior cruciate ligament and no damage to any of the other major ligaments.

"We're going to go ahead and be very optimistic about this and try to get him back in action as soon as possible."

Clements said he expects a recovery time of two-to-three weeks.

"I'm going to do everything I can to get back by the start of the season," Gandy said. "But a more realistic goal probably is for the open week before Florida."

For Fulmer, knowing Gandy would not be lost for the season was the best possible news.

"Very positive results," Fulmer said. "He's got some swelling. But they just told me it was very positive after the MRI."

The center position already was an area of concern with David Ligon suffering a high ankle sprain on the first play of last week's scrimmage.

Cody Douglas, Rob Smith, Michael Frogg and true freshman Josh McNeil will continue to get in some work at center when the Vols go through their second major scrimmage of the fall tonight at Neyland Stadium.

Fulmer said he wasn't 100 percent sure of a rotation.

"But I'm much more comfortable (after Friday's practice)," he said. "We'll get it where we want to get to."