Michigan State basketball will get one heck of a boost three games into Big Ten play.

Head coach Tom Izzo said Monday that star freshman Miles Bridges is expected to make his return for Wednesday's home game against Rutgers. He won't start, but the Spartans will begin working him back into the mix, assuming no setbacks.

"Our job is to try to get him some minutes if everything goes well tonight and tomorrow and then see if we can build on that," Izzo said.

Bridges has missed the last seven games with a foot/ankle injury. For the first time since the loss to Duke on Nov. 29, Bridges dressed in uniform and warmed up with the Spartans before their win over Northwestern on Friday.

Sunday, Bridges practiced some before his first day of full-contact work Monday.

"Not for any negative reason, just trying to bring him along slow," Izzo said. "Probably the main thing that we've talked to all the people about, it seems there is no pain at all. The big thing with him is don't let him get fatigued. Thank God, the way he killed himself for the last three and a half weeks on the bike and that (upper body machine), I think he's in decent shape.

"He's not going to be in playing shape, but decent shape."

In the seven games without Bridges, Michigan State went 6-1, losing only to Northeastern. The Spartans came up with two big wins to start the conference season, storming back from a 15-point deficit to beat Minnesota on the road and then building a 19-point lead on the way to beating Northwestern.

Before the injury, Bridges was MSU's leading scorer and rebounder at 16.6 and 8.8 rebounds per game. At 6-foot-7, his presence also meant the Spartans didn't have to play 6-foot-4 wing Alvin Ellis at the four.

While it will take some time for Bridges to get back into playing shape and be himself, his return is absolutely a welcomed one for the Green and White.

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