Weekend watch: Ronaldo set to return for Real Madrid

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Every Friday, CBCSports.ca senior writer and soccer expert John F. Molinaro will preview the weekend's European soccer action, pointing out key things to watch out for in the continent's top leagues.

SPAIN

There's good news for Real Madrid fans - Cristiano Ronaldo is on the mend.

Ronaldo has been bothered by ankle problems but the Portuguese star will be in the starting lineup when los blancos host Osasuna on Saturday.

Ronaldo sustained the injury in Madrid's 0-0 draw at Real Mallorca on the opening day of the la Liga season and missed Portugal's European qualifiers at home to Cyprus and away to Norway.

The weekend's most intriguing matchup sees Barcelona host newly-promoted Hercules at the Camp Nou. Saturday's match will mark the Spanish league debut of David Trezeguet, the famed French striker who spent the past 10 years in Italy with Juventus.

Hercules also recently signed Dutch destroyer Royston Drenthe from Real Madrid, so it will be interesting to see whether the Alicantinos can muster up any kind of resistance against the reigning Spanish champs on their home turf.

ITALY

The highlight of the weekend schedule in Italy will see Juventus host Sampdoria in Turin on Sunday.

Sampdoria boast one of the most dynamic scoring combinations in the Italian league in the form of Antonio Cassano and Giampaolo Pazzini, while questions are still being asked of Juventus' rebuilt defence following a 1-0 loss to Bari in the first week of the Serie A season.

The Bianconeri were limp in the attack against Bari, only turning it on in the final 20 minutes. Maybe the introduction of Alberto Aquilani, on loan from Liverpool, will help to breathe some much-needed life into Juventus' attack.

After wiping the floor with Lecce to the tune of 4-0, AC Milan will face another newly-promoted club this week in Cesena. The tiny club from Emilia-Romagna did well to earn a draw away to AS Roma two weeks ago, but chances are they won't be able to hold the Rossoneri, buoyed by the additions of Robinho and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, off the scoreboard.

ENGLAND

Chelsea has had a pretty easy time of it thus far.

The reigning league champions won their opening three games of the Premiership season (against lightweights West Brom, Wigan and Stoke) by a combined score of 14-0.  On Saturday the Blues travel to Upton Park where they will surely collect another three points against last-place West Ham.

Next week, the Blues hosts newly-promoted Blackpool, to cap off a string of five easy opponents to begin the campaign. It gets considerably harder for Carlo Ancelotti's men after that, with matches away to Manchester City and home to Arsenal.

The Gerard Houllier era at Aston Villa begins on Monday when the Birmingham-based club travel to Stoke.

GERMANY

League champions Bayern Munich host Werder Bremen Saturday in a match pitting two Champions League sides against each other.

Werder come into this affair with a rash of injuries. Their starting central defensive duo of Per Merstesacker (eye) and Naldo (knee) are out, which means coach Thomas Schaaf will likely use newcomer Mikael Silvestre, formerly of Manchester United, to anchor the back line.

The injuries to Merstesacker and Naldo couldn't have come at a worse time - Werder has given up six goals in two games, and is already without injured goal-scorer Claudio Pizarro (hamstring).

Look for Italian international Mauro Camoranesi to make his Bundesliga debut for Stuttgart against Freiburg on Saturday. Stuttgart could use Camoranesi's skill up front, as they scored just once in their first two games of the season, both of them losses.

FRANCE

Toulouse is the surprise league leader after winning their first four matches of the Ligue Un campaign - an amazing start for a club that finished 14th a season ago. Le Tefece will try to make it five in a row when they host St. Etienne on Saturday.

Toulouse's rise to the top of the table, powered by league's best attack (eight goals for), is all the more surprising when you consider the club sold France international Andre-Pierre Gignac to Marseille in the off-season.

Reigning French champions Marseille will try to make up some ground on the front-runners when they host Monaco on Sunday. Didier Deschamps's team have looked far from impressive thus far in the season, and has been leaking goals with six conceded in four games.

The defence will have to tighten up and be at its best against a Monaco side that boasts the dangerous 1-2 scoring combination of Daniel Niculae and Pierre Aubameyang.

Follow John F. Molinaro on Twitter. 

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