Sixers’ Joel Embiid set to return from foot injury against Atlanta Hawks

Joel Embiid will return to the 76ers’ for Monday night’s game against the Atlanta Hawks at the Wells Fargo Center, after he missed the past four games with a mid-foot sprain.

Starting forward P.J. Tucker, who left Sunday’s win at the Orlando Magic with left ankle soreness, is also available to play against the Hawks. So is reserve wing Matisse Thybulle, who missed the past three games with ankle inflammation.

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Embiid’s return is a lift for a Sixers team that also has been playing recently without star guards James Harden, who has been out since Nov. 4 with a foot tendon strain, and Tyrese Maxey, who fractured his foot in Nov. 18 win against the Milwaukee Bucks. Embiid, the two-time MVP runner-up, is averaging 32.3 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 4.6 assists in the 12 games he has played.

Maxey, whose recovery timeline was originally projected at three-to-four weeks, was out of his walking boot when he entered the Sixers’ locker room Monday.

When asked about Harden’s progress, Rivers said he had no information beyond that the perennial All-Star has returned to on-court work. Harden said on Nov. 17 that he was “on pace” to hit his expected recovery timeline of one month, which could peg his return for a Dec. 5 game at Houston or a Dec. 9 home contest against the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Sixers have performed well while shorthanded, winning six of their past eight games to improve to 11-9 entering Monday.