Injury-plagued Schalke defender Atsuto Uchida said Thursday he will have another checkup on his right knee.

The 28-year-old said he will have an MRI examination on Tuesday. A knee injury has ruled him out of action since March 2015.

Uchida's patellar tendon was surgically repaired three months later, but his return date is still in the air. He took part in training sessions at his old J. League side Kashima Antlers in June, but has since been training apart from the rest of the Schalke squad.

The fleet-footed right back said he could partially join up with the rest of the team if Tuesday's results are positive, but was worried about a white shadow previously seen in his scans.

"That's the cause of the pain. I believe it hasn't vanished completely," Uchida said after watching his side defeat Salzburg 3-1 in the Europa League.