Minnesota Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns is expected to miss four-to-six weeks with a calf strain, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

The forward was injured during Monday's game against the Washington Wizards, with Josh Robbins of The Athletic reporting Towns was unable to put any weight on his right leg. The team quickly ruled him out for the rest of the game.

According to Wojnarowski, Towns had scans on Tuesday to reveal the extent of the injury, although he is expected to return sometime in January.

Towns has played more power forward this season after the Timberwolves acquired three-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert at center.

The result has been decreased numbers for Towns, averaging 20.8 points per game after scoring at least 24 per game in each of the last four years. His 8.2 rebounds and 0.7 blocks per game would also be the worst of his career.

The 27-year-old has been productive in other ways, averaging 5.3 assists per game, and is a consistent offensive weapon with at least 20 points in 14 of 21 games this year. His only game in single digits was when he left early because of an injury on Monday.

It represents a significant loss for a squad that has struggled to gel this year, sitting 10th in the Western Conference with a 10-11 record.

Naz Reid and Kyle Anderson will see more minutes at the 4 with Towns unavailable, although the Timberwolves will need its top scorers Anthony Edwards and D'Angelo Russell to step up offensively to overcome the loss of a three-time All-Star.

Gobert will also be under more pressure to control the paint defensively without Towns alongside him.