Real Madrid looks set to have what will in effect be two new signings for its Champions League push.
Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and centre back Eder Militao have been out of action since August.
In a training session on the eve of a new campaign, Courtois tore the ACL in his left knee and therefore didn't manage to debut in 2023/2024.
"You never expect to go through something like this, but now you have to accept it and do everything to overcome it and come back even stronger," he wrote on Instagram addressing the matter, with Chelsea's Kepa brought in on loan to provide cover.
Militao fared only slightly better by at least making it to the opening day of the season.
During a Matchday 1 tie against Athletic Club, though, he also pulled up with an ACL tear in the same knee and similarly hasn't been seen playing since.
Like Militao's defensive partner David Alaba, whose own ACL disaster in - you guessed it - his left knee occurred towards the end of 2023, both men were ruled out for the rest of the term.
Boasting a winning mentality that is a minimum at an outfit like Madrid, however, Courtois and Militao are expected to become available for Carlo Ancelotti in the spring and will in effect be two 'new signings' to boost the La Liga and Champions League title pushes as this kind of development is regularly explained in Spain.
Reports from the likes of AS about Militao making his comeback at the end of the month have circulated for some time.
On the morning of the day that Los Blancos host RB Leipzig in the UCL last 16 for a second leg showdown, MARCA reports that March 27 is " Courtois Day".
This is because said date has been marked in the calendar for the Belgian to return to training with his teammates, in the first session after the international break where incoming summer signing Endrick should debut at the Bernabeu for Br azil against Spain.
Courtois will "contribute his grain of sand in the final stretch of the season", MARCA says.
But it can't be ruled out that he may once again feature heavily on the continent - where he won the Player of the Match in the 2021/2022 UCL final - and domestically if his recovery process continues at such an impressive pace.