The San Antonio Spurs will have to go through at least a month without one of its veterans, Manu Ginobili.

The 38-year-old shooting guard from Argentina will reportedly be out of action for about a month after undergoing testicular surgery.

Ginobili suffered the injury during the Spurs game against the Pelicans when Ryan Anderson was driving toward the basket but accidentally kneed Ginobili in the groin during the process. The Spurs won that one, 110-97, via CBS Sports.

At the time, Ginobili had to be helped by teammate Tim Duncan and the team trainer, with Ginobili visibly in pain. His teammates felt he would be fine after the night but it turned out that the injury was pretty much more serious than initially expected.

Ginobili, who could be in his final year, hasn’t been exactly the same Manu of old. His numbers have dropped considerably, averaging only 10.0 points, 3.3 assists and 3.0 rebounds.

Despite those low numbers, Ginobili remains a vital cog for the Spurs, which currently hold the second place in the Western Conference with a 41-8 win-loss record behind the leading and defending champion Golden State Warriors.

Ginobili will thus join another veteran, Duncan, in the sidelines. Rookie Jonathan Simmons will likely be tasked to fill up for the veteran shooting guard for the meantime.

Though considered as a vital piece, his absence should hardly put a dent on the Spurs' campaign. Ginobili has been coming off the bench where he provides the needed spark for head coach Gregg Poppovich. Even the many-time NBA champion coach was taken aback by the severity of Ginobili’s injury.

"I haven't seen him. He wasn't in the locker room, I don't think. I don't know what the hell happened," says Popovich via ESPN.

With the two vets out, Tony Parker, David West and Boris Diaw will try to fill in as far as the experience factor is concerned. The question though is whether Ginobili can still return and contribute after recovering from surgery.

The Spurs are one of the favorites to challenge the defending champion Warriors this season. Though the Warriors crushed the Spurs last Jan. 25 (125-90), much of that was because the Spurs were playing with a depleted lineup.

As everyone knows, coach Pop normally holds back his guns for the more serious stages – the NBA playoffs.

Aging as he may, his court smarts are still something that the Spurs can use. With the season only halfway through, the Spurs veteran guard can still return, though it may not be an easy one to recover from.