Chinese star Yao Ming will sit out exhibition games against the NBA All-Star team after breaking a bone above his left eye during practice.

The Houston Rockets centre received eight stitches above his eye after colliding with another player on Monday, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

"Yao will miss a couple of the games, but we are not sure which ones," said a China Basketball Association official. "He has to avoid getting sweat in the wound, which could lead to infection."

Reports said Yao is expected to miss at least four of the five exhibition games against the visiting NBA All-Star squad. The first is scheduled for Wednesday night in the northeastern city of Qinhuangdao.

Yao is a member of both the NBA All-Star team and China's national team, but was to play for the Chinese squad in this exhibition.

Yao suffered a similar injury during a Chinese basketball championship two years ago.

Yao, one of the first Chinese players in the NBA, was the No. 1 draft pick last year. He was runner-up for the NBA Rookie of the Year award in 2002-03.

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