Real Madrid have received a timely lift ahead of Tuesday night’s Champions League clash after both Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham were named in the travelling squad to face Manchester City.

The pair have been absent through injury but are now back in contention for the second leg of the last-16 tie in the UEFA Champions League.

Mbappe, 27, has not featured for Madrid since their La Liga meeting with CA Osasuna on 21 February after suffering a sprain in his left knee at the start of March. His return offers Álvaro Arbeloa another attacking option as Madrid look to finish the job in Manchester.

Bellingham’s absence has stretched even longer. The England midfielder limped off less than 10 minutes into a league game against Rayo Vallecano on 1 February and left the pitch in tears after damaging his hamstring.

Initial forecasts suggested the 22-year-old would be sidelined for around four weeks. Further tests later revealed the injury was more serious than first feared, casting doubt on whether he would be fit for England’s upcoming friendlies against Uruguay national football team and Japan national football team later this month.

Madrid head to Manchester with one foot already in the quarter-finals after a commanding 3-0 win in the first leg at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.

Midfielder Federico Valverde was the star of that night, firing a first-half hat-trick to put the Spanish giants firmly in control of the tie.

The scoreline could have been heavier. City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma produced a key save early in the second half, denying Vinícius Júnior from the penalty spot.

With Mbappe and Bellingham back in the fold, Madrid arrive at the Etihad with renewed strength and a sizeable cushion to protect. For City, overturning the deficit will require something extraordinary.