Maksim Chmerkovskiy Won't Be Dancing With A Star This Week

After injuring his calf during rehearsals with his partner Heather Morris on Friday, Dancing with the Stars pro Maksim Chmerkovskiy will be sitting out Monday night's show, according to Good Morning America. Chmerkovskiy — who, along with then-partner Meryl Davis, won season 18 of the hit dancing competition — was practicing with Morris when he cried out in pain and suddenly began clutching his leg. Cameras were rolling when the incident occurred, so we’ll undoubtedly see exactly what went down during Monday night's episode of DWTS.

"It’s my calf muscle," Chmerkovskiy says about his injury in a clip played on GMA. "It just felt like something hit it." According to ABC News, Chmerkovskiy is receiving medical treatment for his injury, but it isn’t known how long he’ll be sidelined from performing on DWTS. He will reportedly be present in the ballroom to cheer on Morris, who’ll be dancing with troupe dancer Alan Bersten while Chmerkovskiy recovers.

Being that we're only two weeks into the newest season of DWTS it's a little surprising and concerning that Chmerkovskiy has already suffered an injury so significant that he won't be able to perform. In the brief footage of the accident (below) Chmerkovskiy's injury doesn't seem all that bad compared to others we've seen on the show, but it must be significant if doctors insist that he sit out his next performance.

I imagine news that her partner has been sidelined must come as quite a blow to Morris, who's been at the center of controversy this season because of her background in professional dancing. During the season premiere, the judges seemed somewhat tough on Morris, especially given the fact that she isn't the only one with dance experience (I'm looking at you Normani Kordei). So if we're going to look for the good in something bad, then perhaps the last-minute partner swap could help the judges and audiences see Morris in a different light.

Us loyal viewers of DWTS tend not to respond well to celebrities with too much dance experience, and often root for those who appear to be an underdog, so Chmerkovskiy's absence might help us see Morris as less of a sure thing for the win. That being said, here's hoping Chmerkovskiy makes a speedy recovery!