Eder Militao made his return from a long-term knee injury in the latter stages of Real Madrid's La Liga contest with Athletic Bilbao on Sunday night.
The Brazil international picked up an ACL problem in his side's opening match of the current campaign against Athletic last August.
However, he has stepped up his recovery in recent weeks, and Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti said before the international break that the centre-back was in line to return against Ernesto Valverde's team.
Militao was introduced in the 92nd minute of the match, taking the place of Dani Carvajal, and he revealed his delight at being back on the field.
"I can't explain the happiness. It's been tough for me. I thought about this moment many times. It had to be at the Bernabeu. The fans... beautiful. All the players helped me and supported me. It's a family. Thank you everyone," he said after the clash in the Spanish capital.
🔙 @edermilitao 🔙#RealMadridAthletic pic.twitter.com/mTQ4zq0xLu
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) March 31, 2024
Ancelotti, meanwhile, branded Militao "one of the best in the world".
"Eder Militao is one of the best in the world. Of course, he needs time to get his form back but it's important to have him back," Ancelotti told reporters during his post-match press conference.
Real Madrid secured all three points against Athletic courtesy of a double from Rodrygo, with the Brazil international opening the scoring in the eighth minute before registering again in the 73rd.
"The truth is that I'm much more happier for Militao's return than my two goals," Rodrygo said after the clash on Sunday, which allowed Real Madrid to re-open an eight-point lead over second-placed Barcelona at the top of the La Liga table.
Real Madrid will not play again until the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final with Manchester City on April 9, but the English champions have two matches before the fixture.
© Reuters
Ancelotti accepts his side have an advantage over Man City
"I see the calendar well. They (City) have it more complicated. This is modern football. Obviously we have a small advantage, which will not decide the final result," added Ancelotti.
"We watched City game today. We will study and evaluate everything. We will prepare it perfectly."
Ancelotti also insisted that his side have work to do in La Liga despite their healthy lead at the summit.
"We don't think the league is won. We are sorry that we have an advantage. We want to win all the games. We don't have to do calculations because the league is open. We have this advantage, that we have to enjoy it," said the Italian after the two-goal success on Sunday.
Militao's return means that Thibaut Courtois and David Alaba are Real Madrid's only current absentees, although Vinicius Junior missed out against Athletic due to a suspension.
Matt Law
