Roger Federer returns to the court this week following knee surgery and has warned the rest of the Monte Carlo Masters field he will no be pushover despite three months out injured.

The 17-time grand slam champion has been sidelined since going under the knife to repair a torn meniscus he sustained shortly after he lost in the Australian Open semi-finals to Novak Djokovic.

The 34-year-old Swiss then withdrew from a planned comeback in the Miami Open last month but is finally set to be in action again in Monte Carlo, where he has been given a first round bye.

Guillermo Garcia-Lopez will be Federer’s first opponent in the second round tomorrow and while the world number three admits it will provide a test for his knee, he is seeking more success in a tournament where he is a four-time beaten finalist.

“I’ve played very well in Monaco in the past, but for now my objective is to make my return to play, gain a good feel and go from there,” he said.

“My knee hasn’t bothered me, but the big test will be seeing how it reacts in match conditions.”