AUBURN — After a five-game layoff, Austin Wiley made his much-anticipated return to Auburn's rotation.

Bruce Pearl indicated prior to the Florida game Wiley would likely be on a minutes restriction. Auburn had no intention of rushing Wiley back into action. Wiley finished the Florida game with a relatively efficient five minutes of playing time.

Pearl said after the game Wiley had been kicked in the shin and would take it easy the rest of the week. As of Tuesday, Pearl only needed two letters to describe how Wiley's recovery was coming along.

"OK," Pearl said.

Pearl followed up that uninspiring report to ease some concerns. Wiley practiced in full with the team Thursday, so he's fully expected to be part of the Saturday lineup against LSU — just not his fullest capacity quite yet.

"It's slow, but he's really working through it," Pearl said. "He was sore the day after [the Florida game]. We practiced yesterday, and he was sore after. He felt better this morning. He's not at risk of re-injuring, but he definitely feeling it."

Pearl didn't put a number on Wiley's minutes. There's no official number or minutes restriction Saturday.

Pearl said not to expect too much out of the Auburn center, however.

"The more minutes he gets, and the more he starts to play, the more that problem will be gone. But he's still feeling it," Pearl said. "I'd like to get him some more minutes against LSU, but I wouldn't anticipate it's going to be a drastic change at all."

Wiley wasn't the only Tiger who's been hobbled of late.

Point guard Jared Harper and forward Chuma Okeke missed some time of their own during the Florida contest. Harper went out early in the game after tweaking his ankle early against Florida, but he managed to return. Okeke took a couple uncomfortable falls that gave him a cut on his face, as well as a much more humorous injury.

Pearl gave Harper some rest during Thursday's practice, but Okeke was ready. Harper will be a full go against LSU regardless.

"I kept Jared off on light duty yesterday when we had a good, hard practice with contact," Pearl said. "Chuma just had a pain in his ass — not that he is one because he isn't, but he had one. He played through it."