Friday 17 February 2017 23:50, UK
Gareth Bale is set to make his return from an ankle injury when Real Madrid host Espanyol on Saturday.
The Wales international has been sidelined since undergoing surgery on the ankle tendon damage he suffered during a Champions League match against Sporting Lisbon in November.
Real manager Zinedine Zidane said last week that he hoped to have Bale available again before the Champions League last 16, second leg against Napoli on March 7, but the 27-year-old forward has already returned to full training and is now set to be involved against Espanyol.
Zidane told a pre-match press conference: "He will be in the squad and the plan is for him to have some minutes. We're keen and he's keen as well.
"Bale is a very important player for us. We know the quality and speed that he has, and the damage he can cause the opposition.
"He's very happy to return to the team, to be with us, and be able to play again."
On Saturday, Real's title rivals Atletico Madrid and Sevilla are in action against Sporting Gijon and Eibar respectively, with both matches live on Sky Sports.
Barcelona take centre stage on Sunday when they host Leganes, live on Sky Sports.
Follow Real Madrid v Espanyol with our live blog on skysports.com and the Sky Sports apps and watch delayed coverage from 5.30pm on Sky Sports 5 HD.
