Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti says Gareth Bale's return from injury should help his side in Saturday's crunch La Liga game at Sevilla, and has backed Cristiano Ronaldo after the forward was whistled by Bernabeu fans.
With Bale, Luka Modric and Karim Benzema all sidelined through injury in recent weeks, Madrid have not been at their fluent best, but Wednesday's 3-0 win at home to Almeria kept them within two points of La Liga leaders Barcelona with just four games left to play.
Bale returned to training on Thursday after being sidelined for 10 days with a calf injury, and Blancos coach Ancelotti told his pregame news conference that having the Wales international fit and fresh could be decisive as the season reaches its final phase.
"Gareth Bale has trained with the team, he is fine," he said. "He has another session to go. I believe he will be ready for tomorrow. Gareth's return will help us -- he might be fresher than other players as he has rested. That could be very important at this stage of the season."
Saturday's game pits Madrid against in-form Sevilla, who are currently 18 games unbeaten home and away in all competitions, and undefeated in 14 months and 34 matches at their Estadio Sanchez Pizjuan.
Madrid lost the corresponding fixture 2-1 last season, while during Ancelotti's two campaigns in charge his side have also lost at Barcelona's Camp Nou, Atletico Madrid's Calderon, Valencia's Mestalla and Athletic Bilbao's San Mames.
Asked what he had learned from such disappointments at Spain's most difficult grounds, Ancelotti preferred to recall that his side had defeated Sevilla 2-1 in this year's reverse fixture at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, and 2-0 in their European Supercup meeting last August in Cardiff.
"It is true, but we also beat Sevilla in our two meetings this season," he said. "We need to learn from both sides: when things go well, and when they do not go well. It is a very difficult game against a team very strong at home.
"They are on a very good run. So Madrid need to be at their best. It will be a game with a lot of intensity. A game which will tell us a lot. We want to win and we need to win."
Ronaldo has 18 goals in just 12 games against Sevilla over his Madrid career, though the Portuguese comes into the game having scored just once in his last five outings, and being whistled by some Bernabeu fans for perceived selfish play during the midweek win over Almeria.
Ancelotti defended Ronaldo's reaction to Alvaro Arbeloa scoring a tap-in against Almeria ahead of the forward, saying: "[Ronaldo] has scored so many goals this year as he has that character.
"He is never happy with what he has. [He] always fights for more, to improve. That is why he scores so many goals, for such a long time. I do not understand [the whistles]."
Ancelotti said that Benzema still had a chance to return for Tuesday's Champions League semifinal first leg at Juventus, while also maintaining that this was not a time to take risks with any players' fitness.
"Karim is still doing individual work," he added. "We will see if on Sunday or Monday he can train with the team. We are not going to take risks.
"If a player is available to play, it could be not for 90 minutes, but without risks. If there is any risk, as it is not the last game nor a final, we will not take it."