Mark Ballas may have to sit out of the upcoming 23rd season of Dancing With the Stars.

Ballas injured his back in the most recent season of Dancing With the Stars, in which he was paired with UFC fighter Paige VanZant. While Ballas pushed forward and helped VanZant become the runner-up of the season, it's unclear if he will return for the next season.

"I'm not sure yet," Ballas told People recently, of returning for season 23. "This one just finished and my back still hurts."

There's still plenty of time before season 23, though - fall seasons typically begin in late September.

"Thinking that far ahead is kind of ... you know, it's hard," Ballas noted.

However, assuming he is in the clear to return for the fall season, he has one dream partner in mind.

"They do a great job of picking people that are entertaining and fun," Ballas said. "If I could have anyone it would be Shakira. She's, like, my No. 1 choice. I think she would be amazing."

It remains to be seen if Ballas will return, but it could be a pretty crushing blow assuming he has to sit out. After all, Ballas' fellow pro and best friend Derek Hough sat out of this most recent season, which surely upset some of the fanbase. Hough has won Dancing With the Stars six times and maintains a status as one of the most popular pros, if not the most popular.

Ballas has been with the show for a long time, and if both he and Hough were to sit out of season 23, it would certainly feel different. Ballas has won the show two times: with Kristi Yamaguchi in season 6 and Shawn Johnson in season 8.

Dancing With the Stars season 23 will premiere this fall in the regular Mondays at 8 p.m. ET/PT timeslot on ABC.

Tags: Dancing with the Stars Reality TV ABC