Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti says he expects to have Thibaut Courtois and Eder Militao available after the international break.
Courtois, 31, sustained an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in training just before the season started, prompting Madrid to bring in Kepa Arrizabalaga on loan from Chelsea as cover.
Militao, 26, tore the (ACL) in his left knee in the opening game of the season and has not played since. It had been thought that both may not return this season.
“They have started working with the team this week, we will take advantage of this break to do friendlies against the youth team,” Ancelotti said on Friday. “I think they will be ready for the match on the 31st (against Athletic Bilbao). We won’t take any risks. They are doing very well.”
That means Courtois and Miliato are likely to be available for City’s Champions League quarter-final tie against Manchester City, the home leg of which will come on April 9/10 and the away game a week later.
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The tie is a rematch of last season’s semi-final, which City won 5-1 on aggregate after a 4-0 victory for them in Manchester followed a 1-1 draw in Madrid.
“It’s just that a Champions League quarter-final is always complicated!” Ancelotti said on facing City again. “The idea is to win the competition and, for that, you have to beat the best.
“City may be among the best in Europe at the moment, it will be tough, of course, but if you want to be European champions, you have to eliminate City.”
On what he learned from that heavy defeat, Ancelotti added: “We will think about it. The truth is that the second leg was not good for many reasons.
“We will have time to think about this. Now we are thinking about the league. The draw for us is a detail.”
(Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
