After a day of wild speculation, the Celtics released a statement late Tuesday evening which said:

“Paul Pierce suffered a strained left mid-foot during the first quarter against the Washington Wizards on February 1. He is currently listed as day-to-day.”

Earlier in the day, TNT’s David Aldridge put out a report that had an unidentified source telling him that Pierce may have broken his foot. The Celtics countered that by saying the report was premature. The team was expected to make an announcement Wednesday.

The full extent of Pierce’s injury is still unclear, as is a possible timeline for his return. If he is out for a significant amount of time it will test the Celtics depth. Marquis Daniels is not expected to rejoin the team until the All-Star break. That leaves Tony Allen and Brian Scalabrine as the likely replacements for Pierce, with Bill Walker waiting in the wings.

The injury could also affect Pierce’s participation in the All-Star game, although that is the least of the Celtics concerns right now. They play four games before the break with the last one coming next Wednesday in New Orleans. They then have six days before they head out West to play the Kings. That long stretch of time could prove beneficial not only to Pierce, but also to their other injured star, Kevin Garnett.