Former NBA Most Valuable Player Derrick Rose underwent successful right knee surgery Friday and should return to the Chicago Bulls in four to six weeks, general manager Gar Forman said.

The operation to repair the torn meniscus in his right knee found only a small tear, a break considering the 26-year-old playmaker's history of major knee injuries.

As a result, he should be back on the court when the NBA playoffs begin in seven weeks. At 36-22, the Bulls stand fourth in the Eastern Conference, fighting with Cleveland for the Central division lead.

It's the second season in a row Rose has suffered a torn right meniscus. In November of 2013, he underwent season-ending surgery just a month after the campaign began. And that was after he had already missed the entire 2012-13 season following a torn left knee ligament in the first playoff game of the 2011-12 campaign.

The Bulls lost their first game after Rose's injury to Charlotte on Wednesday. They return to action Friday against visiting Minnesota.

"Our reality is that the games are going to keep coming," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. "We've been through it before."

Rose has averaged 18.4 points, 5.0 assists and 3.1 rebounds over 46 games this season. He told the Bulls on Tuesday he felt pain in his knee and an MRI exam discovered the extent of the injury.

If Rose is on the quick side of the recovery cycle, he might be back in the Bulls' lineup for their final nine games of the season, including an April 5 showdown with LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Should Rose need six weeks to recover, he would have a chance to play in Chicago's final three games of the season -- at home to Philadelphia, at Brooklyn and the April 15 regular-season finale at home against Atlanta.