Carlo Ancelotti: 'Eder Militao, Thibaut Courtois could return against Athletic Bilbao'

The duo picked up ACL injuries last August, with Militao suffering his setback during the team's opening match of the new La Liga campaign, while Courtois's problem occurred in training in the build-up to the new season.

Initially, it had been thought that both would miss the entire season, but the pair have stepped up their recoveries in recent months, and Ancelotti has revealed that returns for the key duo could occur against Athletic in Spain's top flight after the international break.

Real Madrid will be bidding to make it successive wins in La Liga when they head to Osasuna on Saturday afternoon.

Los Blancos are top of the La Liga table, seven points clear of second-placed Girona and eight ahead of an in-form Barcelona in third position.

Ancelotti's side will take on Osasuna and Athletic in Spain's top flight either side of the March international break before switching their attention to the Champions League.

Real Madrid have been drawn against the reigning champions Manchester City in the quarter-finals of the competition, with the first leg taking place at Bernabeu early next month.

Ancelotti has welcomed the clash with the Citizens, insisting that his side need to "beat the best" if they are to lift the European Cup for the 15th time.

"We don't mind playing the second leg away. It's a difficult opponent but in the quarter-finals, anything else can happen," the Italian added during his press conference on Friday.

"I think the idea is to win the competition and if you want to win it you have to beat the best. It could be that City are the best but we have to see that and if we want to win the Champions League we have to beat City.

"What prevails between the two teams is great optimism. We want to fight. I don't know what kind of thinking Manchester City have but I'm sure it's the same as us.

"Everyone has their own opinion. For me it's very close and there is no favourite."

As well as Militao and Courtois, Real Madrid will again be missing David Alaba against Osasuna, with the Austria international out for the season due to an ACL injury of his own.

Meanwhile, Los Blancos will also have to again work around the absence of leading goalscorer Jude Bellingham, as the England international serves the second of his two-game La Liga suspension.