Knicks new starting center Joakim Noah said he’s on target to make his preseason Knicks debut on Saturday when the club hosts the Celtics.

Having missed the first three preseason games with a hamstring strain, Noah returned to scrimmages Wednesday, but suffered a mild ankle sprain that put him out Thursday. However, he returned to practice Friday and declared himself ready to play his first game since January, when he went down with a season-ending shoulder separation as a member of the Bulls.

A native of Hell’s Kitchen in Manhattan, Noah will fulfill a dream – even if it’s preseason.

“Yeah, I really am [excited],’’ Noah said. “It’s been a hectic month being in and out with knick-knack injuries. I’ve been waiting for this for a long time. It’s always special to play in that building. I’ll never take it for granted.’’

Noah’s injury-plagued 2015-16 season make these moments more cherished after being on the sidelines so long. He attributes his hamstring strain – suffered on the last play of training camp at West Point – to being away from full-court play for so long.

“I just love the game — I want to be able to play,’’ Noah said. “Any time you get to play on an NBA court, it’s a blessing. The injury was telling me not to take any of these moments for granted.’’

Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek said he didn’t want to guarantee Noah’s playing status until Saturday morning’s shootaround to make sure he responded well to participating in Friday’s scrimmage.

“I think so,’’ Hornacek said. “We’ll find out [Saturday]. When you have an ankle sprain and play the next day, sometimes it’s sore. We’ll see how he’s feeling in the morning. He wants to be out there.

“When he’s out there, you can see the guys move a bit more,’’ Hornacek added. “They know they might get a pass. He adds a dimension to us when he’s out there.’’

It’s been a tumultuous preseason for the 31-year-old veteran, who missed the first two days of practice because the birth of his daughter, then got embroiled in controversy at West Point for missing a team dinner with cadets due to his anti-war stance. Then came the injuries. He’s said throughout it’s only important he’s on the court when it counts – the Oct. 25 regular season opener in Cleveland – but admitted he didn’t really mean it.

“You say that because yow want to stay optimistic and positive, but the truth is I want to be out there every play,’’ Noah said. “The more we’re on the court together, whether it’s practice or when it counts or preseason, the better we’re going to be. This is a new group. It’s important we spend as much time together the more we’re together the better we’ll be.’’