Michigan State’s “No Fly Zone” already lost one of its co-pilots.

Darian Hicks, the Spartans’ most experienced cornerback, has mononucleosis and will miss several weeks, according to coach Mark Dantonio.

Hicks started 10 games for Sparty last year and played in all 13. A junior, the Solon, Ohio native was going to battle for a starting job under new co-defensive coordinators Mike Tressel and Harlon Barnett.

The Spartans were already going to have to replace the likes of Trae Waynes, who was selected in the first round of the NFL draft, and first-team All-American Kurtis Drummond.

Dantonio didn’t give an exact timetable for Hicks’ return, just that it might be “two, three, four or five weeks.”

It remains to be seen whether or not Hicks will be in action when the Spartans take on the high-powered Oregon offense in Week 2.