Kerrin McEvoy hopes to be back in time to ride Earthquake in Saturday week’s Blue Diamond Prelude after receiving a positive prognosis on his knee injury.

The Darley jockey hurt his knee when he fell from the Mike Moroney-trained Massale before the home turn in the Karaka Million in New Zealand on Sunday.

He ruled himself out of riding this week but a visit to the physiotherapist on Tuesday allayed fears he had done serious damage.

“She (physiotherapist) was happy with the structure of the knee. There’s just a bit of inflammation from where I whacked it,” McEvoy said.

He has been advised to ice his knee and expects it to improve markedly in the next few days when the swelling subsides.

Damien Oliver will deputise for McEvoy aboard boom Darley filly Earthquake in an important barrier trial at Cranbourne on Thursday.

But McEvoy hopes to be back in time to partner Earthquake at her Melbourne debut in the Blue Diamond Prelude at Caulfield on February 8.

“I haven’t set a date yet but I hope to be back either next Wednesday or Saturday,” McEvoy said.

McEvoy plans to ride trackwork next Tuesday ahead of his race day return.