Iowa guard Mike Gesell, center, wears a boot on the side line before a game against Purdue, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2013, at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City. Gesell injured his ankle during a game at Nebraska. (AP Photo/ The Gazette, Brian Ray)

IOWA CITY — Iowa freshman Mike Gesell is likely to play this week in the Big Ten Tournament after missing the final four games of the regular season with a right foot injury.

“I think he’ll be able to play,” Iowa Coach Fran McCaffery said. “The question is, how does it feel and how effective can he be? I think he’ll be pretty good.”

Gesell, a 6-foot guard, started the first 27 games of the season at both point guard and off-guard. He injured his left ankle against Nebraska on Feb. 23, but his right foot injury was built over the season and labeled a “stress reaction.” There was no fracture to his foot, which immediately was placed in a walking boot, but it needed time to heal. Gesell was out of the boot late last week and will not require an MRI.

“Every day he does a little bit more so he’s been shooting,” McCaffery said. “He’ll try to run a little bit today and he’ll try to practice a little today and maybe a little bit tomorrow. Maybe we’ll wait until tomorrow and obviously it won’t be for that long.”

Gesell averages 9 points, 2.9 assists and 2.9 rebounds a game for Iowa. McCaffery said he’s uncertain if Gesell will return to the point or slide in at the off-guard when he returns. Junior Devyn Marble moved from the wing to the point in Gesell’s absence.

“I kind of like Dev with the ball, and I like Mike with the ball,” McCaffery said. “They both can play off. I hadn’t really decided that yet. It might be a function of match-up as much as anything else.”