The Minnesota Vikings hope that their all-pro center will be ready by the start of the season. Vikings center Matt Birk will miss two to three months to recover from his hip surgery.

The regular season begins on September 11th, which should give Birk a little bit of time to prepare for opening day.

Backup center Cory Withrow will replace Birk if needed. Birk may also need a few weeks to make it into the starting lineup even if he is recovered from injury.

Last year, Withrow started five games for the Vikings, but he can not fill the same role that Birk can.