CINCINNATI — Just when it looked as though the Cincinnati Bengals were close to getting back to full strength with the return of Pro Bowl wide receiver A.J. Green to the practice field, more bad news struck another of their leaders.

Pro Bowl linebacker Vontaze Burfict had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee Wednesday morning and has been ruled out for Sunday’s game against Jacksonville and likely will miss next week’s Thursday night game against Cleveland.

Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said doctors found a floating mass in Burfict’s knee Monday morning after the linebacker was injured in the first quarter of Sunday’s 27-24 win over Baltimore.

“We thought it was initially a bruise to the knee,” Lewis said. “When they did further studies on Monday morning, they found out he had a little rock in there we had to clean out.

“It’s something that can float in there. The problem is, if it locks in the joint, then your leg locks. There’s also the fact that if you leave it in there and you try to play, which is what his initial thought was, you can do some further damage. That’s why the best thing to do is to bite the bullet right now and have it removed and get him back and rehab him and get him healthy the rest of the way.”

Lewis said he thinks Burfict has a chance to be back for the Nov. 16 game at New Orleans.

The Bengals have grown accustomed to not having Burfict on the field. He left the first two games of the season with concussions and missed the next two games. He started and finished the Carolina game Oct. 12, but a neck injury forced him out of the Indianapolis game in the first quarter on Oct. 19.

He has played just 223 of a possible 391 snaps this season.

“He’s been out of the lineup all year, so the next guy’s going to come in and play,” defensive coordinator Paul Guenther said. “You try to get used to guys going in and out. The next guy’s got to go in and perform and we can’t drop off at any level.

“Obviously, Vontaze is a great player and we’re going to miss him because he’s one of the pillars of our defense. But we’ve got to move forward and Jacksonville’s not going to feel bad for us.”

Especially not if Green returns to an offense that has put together two impressive games and one clunker during his three-week absence.

While a decision won’t be made until later in the week, Green sounded optimistic after practicing for the first time since reaggravating his right big toe injury on Oct. 8.

“I think I’ll be fine,” he said after practice. “I’ll take it day by day and see how it goes. I have to take care of my body. I have a long career ahead of me, and I don’t want anything lingering on and be something serious when I could have rested and had it be better.”

Green was listed as limited on the injury report.

“I did a little bit,” Green said. “Some individual drills, some routes. I feel good.”

Cincinnati may not need Green against the 1-7 Jaguars. And with a key divisional game against Cleveland looming four days later, resting one more game may not be a bad idea. But the Bengals are not looking at it that way. Both Lewis and Green said if the wide receiver is healthy enough to play, he will be on the field Sunday.