Madrid’s European night against RB Leipzig ended in a 4-1 victory, but Vinícius Júnior now faces a different kind of fortnight: a spell away from domestic action that José Mourinho hopes can help the Brazilian recover his sharpest form.
The Real Madrid forward must serve the remaining three matches of a four-game La Liga ban following his dismissal against Villarreal. His next expected appearance is therefore set to come in the Champions League on 4 November, when Real travel to Athens to face AEK.
Vinícius has not scored for the club since 26 August and recently told supporters on social media that “everything passes” amid a difficult run. Mourinho sees the enforced absence from league fixtures as a chance to tailor the 7’s work rather than simply leave him idle.
“He cannot play, but he can work physically in a different way from the others, with an individual plan,” Mourinho said after Wednesday’s win over Leipzig in the third round of the Champions League.
A ban cutting through the calendar
Having already missed Real’s 4-1 victory over Sevilla, Vinícius will also be absent for Sunday’s Clasico against Barcelona and for the 1 November meeting with Racing Santander.
He will be eligible for the AEK match in Greece, before missing the subsequent league fixture against Valencia to complete the suspension. The European trip will offer a brief return to competition during a period otherwise shaped by the domestic punishment.
Mourinho backs his forward
Vinícius started against RB Leipzig but was replaced by Yan Diomandé in the 70th minute. Mourinho has withdrawn the Brazilian in recent matches, yet insisted that the Leipzig change was not a rebuke.
“I liked his game,” the Portuguese coach said. “He did not score and he was not the best player on the pitch, but he played well for the team.”
Mourinho later explained that Real’s depth had driven the decision. “I did not make the substitution because I was unhappy. I have a strong bench that could give me different things. We have to get used to this: I can take off a player who is not playing badly and bring on someone who offers something different.”
The coach also called for patience around a player whose home form and relationship with sections of the crowd have come under focus. Away whistles can serve as fuel, Mourinho said, but criticism at the Bernabéu carries a different weight.
“He needs everyone behind him,” Mourinho said. “When he is booed away from home, that can motivate him. But when it happens in his own stadium, it hurts.”
