The Toronto Raptors were hoping for a healthy Vince Carter this season. That will have to wait for at least another month.

The all-star guard re-injured his surgically-repaired left knee during a game at Houston last Saturday. An MRI exam on Sunday showed Carter suffered no structural damage to the knee. He sat out two games and met with sports physician James Andrews in Birmingham, Ala. on Thursday.

Raptors team doctors listed Carter as day-to-day with a strained quadriceps tendon and while it was believed he would miss one-to-two weeks with the injury, Andrews said Carter would miss a month of action.

Vince Carter won't be soaring to the hoop for at least four weeks.(CP Photo)

Andrews agreed that surgery wasn't necessary.

"I'm not going to rush because I refuse to let this happen again," Carter said.

Carter has been diagnosed with "jumper's knee" -- a common, but painful overuse injury -- for the past few years. He missed five games two years ago and 22 games at the end of last season.

He had surgery in late March and spent the summer in physiotherapy, working on strengthening his muscles and being pain free.

Coming into training camp, Carter told the media that he would be better than ever this season.

He looked that way, too.

He played the entire pre-season schedule and in the first two games of the regular season, the three-time all-star averaged 18 points and three rebounds in 36 minutes of play.

"He's upset because he worked real hard and he had a great camp," said Raptors coach Lenny Wilkens said.

"Hopefully, he'll be fine." Carter said he's frustrated, but his biggest concern right now is being healthy.

"My career is going to be OK. I believe that," Carter said. "It's just a little bump in the road. I have to figure out how I'm going to get over it without hurting myself."

Carter's injury is just one of many for the Raptors this season.

Toronto is also missing Antonio Davis (day-to-day with a sprained rib), Lamond Murray (out three months with a ligament tear in his right foot), Nate Huffman (recovering from arthroscopic surgery), Eric Montross (broken bone in his left foot), and Jelani McCoy (day-to-day with back spasms).

Because of the NBA's special hardship rule, the Raptors were allowed to sign veteran centre Greg Foster on Wednesday.

With files from Canadian Press