Regal FC Barcelona must try to defend the Euroleague title without one of the signature stars who led last season's championship effort after it was announced Saturday that Pete Mickeal will be unable to play for at least four months due to a new health problem, pulmonary embolism. Mickeal, who turns 33 on Tuesday, was due back from an earlier knee injury and had been practicing with the team before doctors discovered an arterial blockage of the lung this week. Team doctors indicated that Mickeal will need four months' worth of treatment to overcome the condition. Mickeal, a 1.97-meter, do-it-all small forward, starred in Barcelona's preseason win against the Los Angeles Lakers and proceeded to lead the team in scoring (14.5 ppg.), rebounds (4.5 rpg.) and minutes (32.1 mpg.) during the first four games of the Turkish Airlines Euroleague Regular Season. A knee injury that required arthroscopic surgery first interrupted his season for three months starting mid-November. With his knee having recovered, Mickeal was due to see game action again last week before symptoms of this new health concern surfaced. Mickeal made the Final Four in his first Euroleague season, with Tau Ceramica in 2008, and two years later, returned with Barcelona to win the title, his first, last spring in Paris. Mickeal led the champions last season in minutes played and rebounds, while ranking second in scoring.