Real Madrid had somewhat of a monumental training session on Thursday, as they continued their preparations for the La Liga match against Sevilla on Sunday. The session saw some players return from injury, while others remained sidelined or doubtful.

The most positive news for the Madridistas was the presence of goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who trained briefly with the team for the first time since suffering an ACL injury earlier this season. The Belgian shot-stopper participated in some light possession exercises with his teammates, but did not take part in the full session. He is still nowhere close to returning, so much so that Real Madrid’s official website noted him as an omission from training along with Eder Militao and David Alaba. The timeline for Courtois’s return is still around April.

Another boost for Real Madrid was the condition of defender Antonio Rudiger, who looks to be ready to face Sevilla. The German centre-back completed the training session without any issues and could slot back into the starting line-up alongside Nacho, or, at worst, come off the bench.

Meanwhile, Jude Bellingham is expected to miss the Sevilla game, but there is some optimism that he could be back for the Valencia game on March 2nd, or at least for the Champions League return leg against Leipzig on March 6.

In other news, striker Joselu trained on his own in the gym due to some right ankle discomfort. The Spaniard’s participation in the Sevilla game is not ruled out, but he will have to undergo further tests to determine the extent of his injury. It is not a serious injury from what we know.

Real Madrid are currently first in La Liga, six points ahead of second-place Girona. The match against Sevilla, who are 15th, is another chance to build on the lead in the table. The game will kick off at 21:00 CET on Sunday at the Santiago Bernabeu.