DETROIT -- Detroit Red Wings forwards Pavel Datsyuk and Tomas Holmstrom won't be ready to play Friday at home against Columbus, and might sit out Saturday's game in Nashville as well.

Coach Mike Babcock said today after practice that he's not sure when they'll return. It's looking like Monday at home against the New York Rangers is a possibility.

Each has been out with a broken right hand -- Datsyuk since Dec. 22 and Holmstrom since Jan. 14.

“Our big thing here is we can afford to be patient with the people that are injured because we're winning games,'' Babcock said. "If you weren't winning games maybe guys would play when they're still a little uncomfortable. Our guys have been cleared to play but it's just a matter of they don't feel like they can at this point.''

Holmstrom said he's questionable for Saturday's game but hopeful for Monday.

He said he felt a huge difference from his first practice on Monday to today, but added, “still I can't really shoot the puck. But it feels way better.''

The lineup remains the same. Jimmy Howard will start in goal Friday:

Franzen-Zetterberg-Bertuzzi

Hudler-Filppula-Cleary

Draper-Helm-Eaves

Miller-Abdelkader-Mursak

Lidstrom-Kronwall

Ericsson-Rafalski

Kindl-Salei

Howard (starting)

MacDonald

Mike Modano, out since Nov. 25 with a lacerated right wrist, might be back sooner than early to mid-March, the first projection.

“It's getting closer. I think it's week to week, it's getting better,'' Modano said. "We've always looked at a 12-week program. I'm just over nine weeks. We'll have a big talk about it when I'm at the 12-week mark, Feb. 20-21. It's feeling good, but there's a lot of conditioning yet to do, just getting up to speed with these guys.''

“It's moving in the right direction. Flexibility is really good. It's just that being shut down for seven weeks in a cast, I'm trying to get that strength back.''