Le Fondre left the Australian outfit in October to join Mumbai City in the Indian Super League, but has returned to the team where he won two A-League Championship titles and has signed a new two-and-a-half year contract.

The 20 teams will return to action on Friday and Saturday, with some aiming to put one foot in the Round of 16 and others desperately trying to keep their dreams of reaching the knockout phase alive.

In what's sure to be another thrilling two days of action, the-AFC.com has chosen five things to look out for.

The Uzbek side reached the quarter-finals last year but are yet to get their first win of the 2021 campaign, having started off with 3-3 draw against Tractor FC before being held 0-0 by Air Force Club.

The reverse fixture on Tuesday saw an efficient display of counter-attacking football by Sharjah as they ceded possession to Pakhtakor but stuck two times either side of the half-time break to walk away with a 4-1 victory and cruise further at the top of the group, leaving Pakhtakor to languish in fourth place.

The two teams met just two days ago on Matchday Three, where they played out to a 1-1 draw with Al Nassr reaching the halfway stage as the remain group leaders on five points, with Foolad second on goal difference.

Three points at the King Saud University Stadium will be crucial in the race to win the group, with Qatar's Al Sadd SC and Al Wehdat of Jordan also still in the running for the automatic slot in the Round of 16.

FC Goa opened their debut campaign in the AFC Champions League with 0-0 results against Qatar's Al Rayyan and UAE's Al Wahda but the Indian Super League side fell 2-1 to Persepolis after taking the lead on Monday.

Persepolis began their bid for the AFC Champions League title with a hard-fought 1-0 victory against Al Wahda and showed their fighting spirit to come from a goal down to defeat Al Rayyan 3-1 before seeing of FC Goa.

The 47-year-old, who won the continental coaching award in 2014 after guiding Western Sydney Wanderers to the AFC Champions League title, will be the long-term replacement for Grant Brebner.

Brebner moved aside from the role following a 7-0 thrashing at the hands of Melbourne City at the weekend and former Blackburn Rovers manager Steve Kean will lead the club until the end of the current A-League season.

With the teams in India, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates preparing to return to action on Friday and Saturday, the-AFC.com takes a look back at the facts and figures that have stood out so far.

Photo: Al Ahli Saudi FC