Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has confirmed returning star Cristiano Ronaldo will make his second Manchester United debut in Saturday’s Old Trafford homecoming against Newcastle.

The 36-year-old returned to the club he shone for during six medal-laden seasons on deadline day, signing a two-year deal with the option of a further season.

Ronaldo has been training with the club this week and will feature when Newcastle arrive at a bouncing Old Trafford in Saturday’s eagerly anticipated Premier League encounter.

“He’s been having a good pre-season with Juventus, he’s played for the national team, he’s had a good week with us here,” the United boss said.

“He will definitely be on the pitch at some point, that’s for sure.”

Ronaldo, who won three Premier Leagues and the Champions League during a six-year spell at Old Trafford between 2003 and 2009, has insisted he has not come back for “a vacation” and Bruce is convinced he and fellow summer signings Raphael Varane and Jadon Sancho make the club genuine title contenders this season.

He said: “They were second last year and have brought in three quality players, so they’ve got to be there or thereabouts. That’s what the demands of Manchester United are, they’ve got to be in and around it, and they hope that they can have a good run at it.

“It will be difficult of course, with City and Chelsea and the strength of a lot of teams, but they’ve given themselves a hell of an opportunity.”