The appearance on Friday of Andy Murray’s name at the top of the draw for the Monte Carlo Open was a relief for the tournament, his travelling fans and the player. If he is to get back to winning tournaments, however, he is likely to have to beat either Novak Djokovic or the nine-times champion, Rafael Nadal.

Illness, injury and a dip in form have weighed Murray down since his ascent to world No1 in November and he had contemplated missing the first European clay tournament of the season. He was satisfied after a light-hearted workout in an exhibition against Roger Federer in Zurich on Monday that he is fit enough to begin his buildup to the French Open next month.

His return in a tournament where he has had mixed results suggests he is confident the injury he sustained to his right elbow just before his shock defeat by the world No129, Vasek Pospisil, in Indian Wells on 12 March will hold up under the serial pressure of his serve on clay at the Monte Carlo Country Club.

He dipped out early at the Australian Open, listlessly, against the world No50, Mischa Zverev, while suffering from shingles and has since battled flu, a multiple-hit of health woes that are the price he has paid for a grinding campaign to displace Djokovic at the top of the world rankings.

Murray begins his tournament in the second round on Tuesday when he faces one of two experienced clay-courters against whom he has had few problems in the past: Luxembourg’s Gilles Müller or the Spaniard Tommy Robredo.

Djokovic, who looked strong when he returned from his own enforced lay-off in Davis Cup last weekend for Serbia against Spain – who were missing Rafael Nadal –starts against the winner of Malek Jaziri and Gilles Simon.

Nadal, who has won this tournament nine times and looked more like his old self the past couple of months, stands in Djokovic’s way before the final – if he beats Kyle Edmund or Dan Evans in round two. It is rotten luck for Murray’s British team-mates to be drawn together in the first round but both will be lifted by the prospect of playing the finest clay-court artist of all time.

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Murray has the kindest draw of the main contenders (Roger Federer, the form player of the Tour, is taking an eight-week break), although the maddeningly unreliable Stan Wawrinka, who beat him 6-2, 6-1 here four years ago, is likely to be a semi-final opponent.

Before Murray contemplates getting past the Swiss, he might have to tame an adversary with old and recent form against him: Philipp Kohlschreiber.

Seven years ago, the German embarrassed Murray in just over an hour in the second round, when, like Wawrinka in 2013, he allowed him only three games. Murray has won their five subsequent matches but he had to come from a set down to see off the world No32 in Dubai this year in a match where the second tie-break went to 38 points.

However it pans out, Murray is in for an interesting week.

• This article was amended on 19 April 2017 because Gilles Müller is from Luxembourg, not Belgium as an earlier version said.