Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti hailed Eder Militao’s return against Athletic Bilbao on Sunday evening, calling the Brazilian “one of the best defenders in the world”.
Militao, 26, suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee in Madrid’s season opener and has been sidelined since. Ancelotti previously said Militao was only expected to be in the squad for the matchday and not take part in the match, but he replaced Dani Carvajal as a 90th-minute substitute in Madrid’s two-goal victory.
“Militao is one of the best defenders in the world,” Ancelotti said after the match. “It’s important that he’s back, even if he needs time to adapt to the game. The important thing is that he’s already with us.
“He will improve with training. We need him for this last part of the season. When a player is out for this long, it is a positive emotion for the whole team that he is back. “