Ronaldo to return for wobbling Madrid

Real Madrid coach Carlos Queiroz will be hoping his side get their season back on track when they take on Monaco in the quarter-finals of the Champions League on Wednesday.

Madrid have struggled on the domestic front recently – their last three Primera Liga games have rendered only two points, while Saturday’s 4-2 hammering by Athletic Bilbao saw their lead at the top of the table cut to one point.

Last week also saw their hopes of a treble ruined when Real Zaragoza beat them 3-2 in the final of the Copa del Rey.

The dip in form has coincided with Ronaldo being sidelined with a torn hamstring but the Brazilian will be back in the squad for the Bernabeu clash tomorrow night.

“I don’t know if Ronaldo will play all game, but he is back training normally,” Real director of sport Jorge Valdano said.

“We are relaxed now that he is returning because he is the best goalscorer in the world and he has a great influence on every game.”

Zinedine Zidane will also welcome Madrid’s top-scorer back with open arms.

The French international said: “We have been missing our goalscorer. We always score a lot of goals and when he is not there it makes a big difference.

“We are not so bad physically. We’re running just as much as everyone else and all you have to do is look at the statistics to see that our problem is not a physical one.”

But as one player comes into the side another is in danger of being forced out. Raul scored his side’s two goals in Bilbao, but has paid the price with a muscle strain and there are doubts over his inclusion.

Zidane, meanwhile, is looking forward to crossing swords with his former Juventus and France team-mate Didier Deschamps, who is now the Monaco coach.

“This will be the first time I have seen him sitting on the bench and it is going to be strange,” Zidane said.

“I am not going to surprise anyone if I say he is doing a good job at Monaco, he is a natural leader and his willingness to work is getting results.

“They are having a good season like us, although I think they are in a difficult moment. They lost in the French Cup and lost the leadership of the league, but they are a good solid side.”