Nathan MacKinnon's injury isn't as serious as it initially appeared to be.

The Colorado Avalanche star will return to the lineup Thursday night against the San Jose Sharks, head coach Jared Bednar announced.

MacKinnon suffered an upper-body injury against the Minnesota Wild on Sunday. The exact injury is unknown, but he appeared to hurt his hand in a fight with Wild defenseman Matt Dumba.

The 26-year-old flew back to Colorado to be evaluated earlier this week, and Bednar said his concern for the injury was "high." MacKinnon missed Tuesday's 2-1 win against the Calgary Flames.

MacKinnon has been in and out of the lineup all season due to injuries and a bout with COVID-19 but has managed an impressive 22 goals and 48 assists in 51 contests.

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