Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti hopes two big stars will return against Manchester City

Real Madrid So far, they have put together an impressive season, building a solid lead in La Liga, and reaching the quarter-finals of the Champions League against Manchester City, taking a Spanish Supercup on the way. They did it without two key players in Thibaut Courtois and Eder Militao, but Carlo Ancelotti is hoping to get Pep Guardiola's side back.

The pair suffered anterior cruciate ligament injuries in the space of three days at the start of the season and have since recovered, but are training normally for the first time this week. Although there are no plans to rush him back, Ancelotti is expected to return to the side after the international break, they say. Brand.

Provided that Courtois returns to the level he was, he will be back in goal, and will force Ancelotti to abandon Andriy Lunin, despite his excellent performances in recent months. Meanwhile, on April 9, when Manchester City will be at the Santiago Bernabeu for the first leg of the quarter-finals, he hopes to use Eder Militao as well. They note that just under seven months will have passed since the Brazilian's injury, when the recovery time is usually set at eight, but both have had a smooth recovery so far, progressing ahead of schedule.

The case for bringing back Courtois is obvious, and with Militao, it might seem a bit early given the higher physical demands of the away game, but it's not a surprise. Ancelotti has shown that he does not have full faith in captain Nacho Fernandez by sometimes using Aurelien Tchouameni in defense instead, but given the threat he faces, Ancelotti will undoubtedly want the more experienced and tried Militao alongside Antonio Rudiger.