Sacramento Kings point guard De'Aaron Fox has been sidelined for 17 games due to a left ankle sprain, but the former No. 5 overall pick is expected to make his return for Tuesday night's road game against the Charlotte Hornets, according to a report from NBC Sports.

Fox rolled his ankle at a practice session on November 11, resulting in a Grade 3 sprain. He's worked hard in recovery, and he's itching to get back on the floor with his teammates.

“I feel my presence is missed in a few areas and I just want to come and plug up those areas and just make us a better team when I step back on the floor,” Fox told NBC Sports California.

The fact that Fox is well enough to play again is great news for the Kings, who are currently holding a 12-14 overall record. Prior to his injury, he was averaging 18.2 points, 7.0 assists, and 4.0 rebounds.

With De'Aaron Fox coming back into the fold, head coach Luke Walton will have to expand his game plans a bit. Corey Joseph saw an increased workload in De'Aaron's absence. Now, however, Joseph will likely see his playing time cut a bit. Despite this fact, he's happy to have his teammate back in action.

“He’s a huge part of our organization, everybody knows that, so we’re happy to get him back,” Joseph told NBC Sports California, referring to Fox. “He looks good. He’s running good. So we’re excited. He’s huge to what we do here.”

Tuesday night's matchup between the Kings and Hornets is set to tip inside the Spectrum Center at 7:00 p.m. ET. Sacramento has won four of their last five games, so they'll be looking to keep that momentum rolling.