PITTSBURGH - Pitt couldn’t wait for this news earlier in this season: Greg Romeus, one of the Big East’s top players, is ready to return from the back injury that has sidelined him since the season opener.

Only coach Dave Wannstedt didn’t expect to have the problem of where to play last season’s Big East co-defensive player of the year, possibly as soon as Thursday night at Connecticut (4-4, 1-2 Big East).

With Romeus out since the Utah game Sept. 2 for Pitt (5-3, 3-0), junior Brandon Lindsey has emerged as one of conference’s best defensive players. The defensive end has eight sacks, second in the Big East to teammate Jabaal Sheard’s nine. Lindsey also ranks second in the conference in tackles for losses.

Lindsey has the advantage of having played all season, while Romeus has played in only one game in 11 months. Romeus’ status will be decided at game time Thursday. And Wannstedt suggested the decision isn’t an easy one.

“He has practiced; he’s listed as questionable,” Wannstedt said Monday. “It’s a little bit of everything. It’s how he feels, if he’s in game shape and his technique work. There are a lot of things that we’re evaluating on a day-to-day basis.”

The Panthers expected to have the Big East’s top two defensive ends this season, and they have. Only it’s been Sheard and Lindsey, rather than Romeus and Sheard.

With four games remaining, Lindsey already has as many sacks as Romeus did last season, when Romeus shared the conference defensive player of the year award with former Pitt lineman Mick Williams.

Pitt has won its three conference games against Syracuse, Rutgers and Louisville by a combined 68 points, with no game decided by fewer than 17 points. One major reason has been a defense that leads the conference in sacks and fewest rushing yards allowed.

“I feel like we’re getting better and better with every week, and we’re more focused than we had been at the beginning of the season,” Sheard said.