CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Illinois wide receiver Chris James will miss at least two weeks and may need surgery to repair a knee injury, head coach Ron Zook said Monday.

James, one of four Illini injured in an intrasquad scrimmage Saturday, damaged the medial collateral ligament in his right knee, The (Champaign) News-Gazette reported in a blog on its Web site.

James, a sophomore, is a backup receiver but was expected to get a lot of playing time.

Highly regarded freshman receiver Regus Benn strained his right shoulder during a tackle at the scrimmage in Rantoul. Zook said Benn will miss a week’s practice.

Freshman defensive tackle Josh Brent, who also sprained a knee, is expected to miss the rest of this week.

Freshman defensive end Jerry Brown, a redshirt freshman who injured a hip, was back in practice Monday morning, Illinois spokeswoman Cassie Arner said.

Illinois will practice in Rantoul through Saturday. The Illini open the season against Missouri on Sept. 1 in St. Louis.