March 30, (THEWILL)- Carlo Ancelotti, the esteemed Real Madrid manager, announced on Saturday, that Brazilian centre-back Eder Militao, has regained full fitness following a protracted injury absence. Militao, who sustained a severe cruciate ligament injury against Athletic Bilbao in the opening match of the season, has been sidelined for over seven months.
The 26-year-old defender is expected to be named in Real Madrid’s squad for Sunday’s crunch La Liga clash against Ernesto Valverde’s high-flying Athletic Bilbao outfit at the Santiago Bernabeu. However, Ancelotti cautioned that while Militao has recovered well from his injury woes, he may not be at the peak of his powers just yet due to the lengthy spell on the sidelines.
“Militao returns tomorrow, which is the most important news,” Ancelotti declared during his pre-match press conference. “He’s available, he’s trained well, obviously he’s not 100 per cent because he hasn’t played football, but he’s recovered very well from the injury.”
The timely return of Militao provides a considerable boost to Real Madrid’s ambitions, with the Brazilian international set to bolster the club’s defensive ranks. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the 26-year-old could feature in Los Blancos’ crucial UEFA Champions League quarter-final first leg tie against Manchester City on April 9.
Ancelotti’s side will undoubtedly benefit from Militao’s presence, as the Spanish giants aim to maintain their supremacy both domestically and in Europe’s elite club competition.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.