Serena Williams will play her first Fed Cup tie since 2007 on Saturday, but there will be no such return for her sister Venus.

The famous siblings are both in the USA's squad to entertain Belarus in Worcester, Massachusetts.

However, only Serena has been chosen for Saturday's opening singles rubbers.

Christina McHale has been picked ahead of Venus for the first rubber against new world number one Victoria Azarenka.

Venus has not played since August when she revealed she was suffering from Sjogren's Syndrome, an immune system disease, but she is due to return to action on Sunday as she has been named for the potentially-decisive doubles rubber in the World Group II tie.

Venus is instead scheduled to partner Liezel Huber on Sunday, although changes can be made by captain Mary Joe Fernandez before then.

"Christina is very match-fit," Fernandez told the official Fed Cup website. "She had a great Australian Open (reaching round three) and is very prepared and ready to go. Venus has had a great week of practice as well, but I think Christina has been playing a lot more."

Venus is just happy to be back after her long absence.

"I really starting feeling a lot better in January. It was really tough with things being out of my control," she explained.

"It's good to know I've turned the corner a lot."

Serena, who has a perfect 7-0 record in Fed Cup play, will take on Olga Govortsova in the second rubber.

She revealed her ankle injury, sustained prior to last month's Australian Open, was "not 100 per cent healed" but she is ready to play.

In World Group I, world number two Petra Kvitova will play the second rubber as the Czech Republic get their trophy defence under way.

Wimbledon champion Kvitova, the star of last year's final triumph over Russia, will meet Germany's Julia Goerges in Stuttgart.

Before that, Iveta Benesova will tackle Sabine Lisicki, the German number one for the tie in the absence of the injured Andrea Petkovic.

Australian Open runner-up Maria Sharapova will open Russia's home tie against Spain by taking on debutante Silvia Soler-Espinosa, only called up following an injury to Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez.

Svetlana Kuznetsova faces Carla Suarez Navarro in the second singles rubber of what is also Spain captain Arantxa Sanchez Vicario's debut tie as skipper.

The 2009 and 2010 winners Italy have picked Sara Errani, a recent quarter-finalist at the Australian Open, ahead of Flavia Pennetta for Saturday's opening singles rubbers against Ukraine.

Errani will meet Kateryna Bondarnko in the first match before Francesca Schiavone takes on Lesia Tsurenko.

Italian captain Corrado Barazzutti said: "The strength of this great squad full of great players, which I have the honour of leading, is that I can replace one player who is not back to her best after her back injury with another player just as strong."

In the other World Group I tie, Serbia, with Jelena Jankovic first up, will start favourites to win in Belgium, who are without the services of Kim Clijsters.