Vinicius Jr and David Alaba return to team training

Good news for Carlo Ancelotti. On Friday, The Athletic reported that Vinicius Jr's recovery is progressing faster than expected and is ahead of the schedule set by the medical staff. As a result, his return to action with Real Madrid could be closer than previously thought. For the time being, on Friday he has returned to team training.
On 24th November, after the win against Leganes, Real Madrid announced that the Brazilian had suffered a small tear in the biceps femoris of his left leg. He was expected to be out for between three weeks and a month, so the club's aim was for the Brazilian to be fit for the Intercontinental Cup final on 18th December. Now there is even more optimism about the date.
Vinicius will not be at Girona on Saturday, but he would like to test himself for the crucial Champions League clash against Atalanta. Carlo Ancelotti's side are on the brink of the abyss after five games: they sit in the last play-off spot with six points, just two points ahead of PSG, Shakhtar Donetsk, Stuttgart and Sparta Prague. Direct qualification is not impossible, although it does seem a pipe dream, but the point is that they need to win all three of their remaining games. The Brazilian winger does not want to miss any of them.
For this reason, the club believe that the Brazilian could be available next Tuesday 10th in the visit of Real Madrid to Bergamo. If the club opts for caution in the end, it is certain that he will be at the clash against Rayo Vallecano on the 14th. This would give him a chance to recover on the pitch ahead of the Intercontinental Cup final.
Another very positive piece of news is the return of David Alaba. He still has some way to go, but the Austrian defender was seen training with his teammates in Friday's morning session at Valdebebas. His last official match was on 17th December 2023, in which he suffered a cruciate rupture with meniscus involvement that has been complicated throughout the year. As previously reported, he is not expected to return to the pitch until 2025, but seeing him working with the group is already a considerable step forward.