DETROIT – Returning from a punctured lung, Detroit Red Wings forward Anthony Mantha isn’t likely to be fighting anytime soon.

But time will come when he will face another decision of whether to stand up for himself or stick up for a teammate. The 6-5, 225-pound Mantha’s mindset hasn’t changed: He isn’t going to be pushed around and he has his teammate’s back, despite suffering three significant injuries in these instances.

“It’s a fine line,” coach Jeff Blashill said. “I don’t want a locker room full of guys who don’t look after each other, that’s no good. But I also think you got to be super-measured, especially with him in his approach in those situations.

“We can’t afford to have him continuously out of the lineup. He’s the one on the ice, he has to make decisions in real time. He’s just got to be real smart about that, and let’s go for a while without being in those situations.”

Mantha will return to the lineup Tuesday at Buffalo (7 p.m., Fox Sports), the start of a four-game trip. He has missed 20 games after being slammed to the ice by Toronto’s Jake Muzzin on Dec. 21. That was Mantha’s fourth game back after missing eight games with a knee injury.

“Try to get the conditioning and the hands back as quick as possible,” Mantha said. “It was three weeks where I couldn’t do anything, so that’s obviously not going on the ice, not going in the gym, not doing any physical activity. It’s a long time. Hopefully I skated enough in the last two weeks to have my legs going as soon as I start playing.”

Mantha was injured after Muzzin slew-footed him. Mantha was confronting the Maple Leafs defenseman after his hit on Madison Bowey. Muzzin was not disciplined by the NHL.

Mantha suffered a broken finger in a fight with Tampa Bay’s Luke Witkowski near the end of the 2015-16 season and torn ligaments in his hand in a bout with Colorado’s Patrik Nemeth, now his Detroit teammate, last season while sticking up for Dylan Larkin.

Mantha said his mindset hasn’t changed. He even suggested he has score to settle with Muzzin. The Red Wings visit Toronto on April 2.

“We’re going to see each other again in this league at one point,” Mantha said.

Mantha has fought several times without getting injured, but the team is sure to be holding its breath whenever he drops the gloves.

“The first part of the year he was our best offensive player, most dynamic,” Blashill said. “We have to be realistic in the sense that he’s been out for a long time if you combine the two injuries. We just have to understand he’s going to have some ups and downs as he comes back to get going at full speed. It’s hard at this time of year, when the league is really ramping up, to miss that time.”

Said Mantha: “Unfortunately, I’ve come back from injuries quite a bit, but this one’s a little different, a little longer."

Blashill said he’ll see who’s available before deciding on which line Mantha will start. He has no minutes restriction.

Mantha, 25, is in the final year of his contract ($3.3 million) and scheduled to be a restricted free agent on July 1. He has 12 goals and 12 assists in 29 games.

“Just try to play the best I can and build some confidence for next year,” he said.

More: Red Wings might have decisions to make with Bernier, Athanasiou

Bowey’s vision clears after scare

Madison Bowey was back on the ice during Monday’s optional practice after a scare early in Friday’s game at Columbus, when he injured his left eye.

“Yesterday morning, finally … I woke up and I could see decently well,” Bowey said. “I’ve gotten poked in the eye or gloved in the eye and the vision comes back right away. After it wasn’t coming back for about half an hour, I was starting to get a little concerned. But luckily, I got to the optometrist right away during the game and he just said it was a little contusion or abrasion on my cornea. Usually those heal in 2-4 days. I think for the most part my vision’s back and it’s feeling good.”

Bowey remains questionable for Tuesday.

“Luckily, my mom’s an optician, so she’s around optometrists and eye doctors all the time,” Bowey said. “She kind of told me what they were saying, too, and passed the message that it’s a 2-4 days kind of thing.”

Fabbri skates, feels better

Robby Fabbri skated Monday and said he felt much better after he was hit in the jaw by Boston’s Chris Wagner late in the second period of Sunday’s 3-1 victory. and sat out the remainder of the game due to concussion protocol. He said he did not suffer a concussion.

He is questionable for Tuesday.

“I saw (the hit) last second, didn’t really have time to protect myself at all,” Fabbri said. “Caught me right on the jaw. Then the protocol from there. It’s more precautionary from that point.”

Blashill said Darren Helm and Frans Nielsen remain questionable for Tuesday. Filip Zadina, out since Feb. 1 with a lower-body injury, did not travel on this trip.

More: Bernier big again against Bruins