Derrick Rose is expected to be back this season. He will be out for four to six weeks after undergoing successful surgery to remove part of his damaged meniscus, Bulls general manager Gar Forman said Friday.

If Rose fulfills the low end of the timetable, he will return in late March. The first weekend of the NBA playoffs is in seven weeks.

Rose suffered the meniscus tear earlier this month, but given his terrible injury history that has marred his career in the past few years, this is a huge break. Forman said Rose walked out of the surgery and will be playing before the season is over.

With meniscus injuries, athletes can chose to repair or remove it depending on the severity and how quickly they want to return. Rose opted to remove the damaged part of his, which is the reason for such a quick return. Forman said the damaged section was fairly small.

In the meantime, the Bulls will rely on Aaron Brooks and Kirk Hinrich to make up for Rose at the point guard position. They may also look into veteran free agents who are on the market. Chicago is currently 36-22 and the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference.