RETURN OF RONALDO IS REAL BOOST

CRISTIANO RONALDO is in the mood to make up for lost time as he returns to action in the Champions League tonight.

The Real Madrid superstar is still serving a five-match domestic ban for pushing the referee in the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup against Barcelona last month.

And Zinedine Zidane’s side have drawn their last two La Liga games to fall off the early title pace.

But the Portuguese (below), who scored twice in last season’s final victory over Juventus, is back for tonight’s opening Champions League tie against APOEL Nicosia.

“He’s in a very good mood and is very happy to play because this is what he really loves, playing football,” said Zidane. “But he’s also right mentally and he’s happy to be on the pitch again.

“Cristiano doesn’t just contribute goals, he’s a leader, he always wants to win and he transmits that to everyone else. We’re all excited to have him back with us.”

“We all know how good Cristiano is and I prefer him to be with us all the time. We can’t talk about Cristiano dependence, I want everyone to be available all the time.”

Luka Modric will also return, after being rested at the weekend, but Karim Benzema is out for a month with a hamstring injury.

Gareth Bale (top) is in the frame to take his place.

Last season, Zidane became the first coach to successfully defend the European Cup since 1990.

He said: “You’ll see how we play.

“We might go with something new, in Benzema’s absence – you never know.”