Stefan Noesen hasn’t appeared in a game since Jan. 8 while recovering from a lower body injury, but it stemmed from an issue he’s been dealing with since the summer, the Devils forward told NJ Advance Media.

Noesen has been able to play through the nagging issue most of the season, but he said it got to the point where he needed to shut it down for a couple weeks to rest.

Noesen had been skating on his own before he returned to full practice on Friday, and if he gets a couple more full sessions in this week, he could return to the lineup soon.

Noesen has appeared in 27 of the Devils' 51 games this season, though his only other stint on injured reserve was due to illness.

Fellow injured forward Joey Anderson also returned to full practice for the first time on Friday, marking his first team activity since breaking his right ankle on Nov. 21.

Noesen and Anderson both practiced again on Monday, along with goalie Cory Schneider, who finished his conditioning stint in AHL Binghamton. Andy Greene and Kyle Palmieri did not practice in order to take maintenance days, while injured players Taylor Hall, Travis Zajac and Ben Lovejoy did not practice.

Marcus Johansson participated in the start of Monday’s practice, but after talking to athletic trainers on the bench, he exited midway through the session.

Anderson has been skating for a few weeks while working his way back from Nov. 27 surgery on the ankle, and the rookie and coach John Hynes expect him ready to return to game action soon.

The next question to answer will be where those games are played. Anderson played eight games in the AHL before being recalled to the NHL, where he appeared in 11 games prior to his injury.

“I’m still day-to-day with it, whatever the staff says,” Anderson said. “It’s just nice to start to practice and play more hockey-type things, get that part of the recovery down.”

Anderson stayed in New Jersey for his recovery, and while he didn’t get the chance to travel with the team, he sat and watched each home game from the press box or a suite.

For a rookie forward who played his first NHL game on Oct. 27, seeing those games from an unique vantage point paid off.

“You learn a lot from watching up there. You see how different plays play out, depending on positioning guys are in,” Anderson said. “So many of those situations are reoccurring, so you can make mental notes about different spots to be in. Then it’s about being able to practice that and go at game pace.”

Chris Ryan may be reached at cryan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @ChrisRyan_NJ. Find NJ.com Devils on Facebook.