Charles Barkley inadvertently burned his corneas when he rubbed body lotion into his eyes during an Eric Clapton concert and will miss the Phoenix Suns' season opener Friday night.

An ophthalmologist ordered the forward to wear eye patches for 12 hours. Barkley traveled with the Suns to Sacramento for the opener, but Coach Paul Westphal said he would not play.

The incident took place Wednesday night. Barkley said his allergies and the bright stage lights caused him to rub his eyes, and he got lotion in both eyes.

"It was a chemical reaction to a type of lotion that he uses," the team doctor, Richard Emerson, said. "I wouldn't anticipate it'll reoccur because I don't think he'll use that type again."