Real Madrid striker Gonzalo Higuain has been out of action since having surgery on January 11 for a herniated lumbar disc in his back, but he may be back in time to play in his Madrid's UEFA Champions League quarter-final against Tottenham Hotspur. The Argentine has returned to training and played 60 minutes in a training match. While he has an outside chance of playing in Madrid's next La Liga match, he is giving the club hope that he will be able to play versus Spurs and reclaim his place as the team's top striker not long after.
"He played 60 minutes," Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho said of Higuain's participation on the training match. "Obviously he isn't ready but he's on the road back. I don't know if he'll make the game against Sporting Gijon [on 2 April], but if he doesn't he'll be back soon, and he'll be welcome as one more."
Madrid and Tottenham will play the first leg of the quarter-final on April 5 in Madrid at the Bernabeu before heading to London for the second leg of the tie eight days later at White Hart Lane. Even if Higuain can make it back for the Spurs matches, he will have to pass up Emmanuel Adebayor and Karim Benzema, both of whom have been tasked with replacing Higuain since the Argentine's injury.