Real Madrid will be eagerly awaiting the return of winger Vinicius Junior after a muscle issue saw him miss Brazil training this weekend.
After playing 90 minutes in his side’s friendly defeat to France, Vinicius reported discomfort in his thigh, per COPE, and was quickly sent for scans.
While the initial diagnosis was positive, Vinicius still sat out Saturday’s training session because of the problem, instead remaining inside in the gym to work on recovery.
The winger did return to training eventually, but he is not expected to play a significant role against Croatia on Tuesday evening and may not even play at all as the Brazil staff seek to protect Vinicius from anything serious.
“Everything is fine,” a spokesperson for the Brazilian Football Confederation is quoted as saying.
Timing of Vinicius Jr Injury Blow Causes Concern at Real Madrid
It seems clear that Vinicius is not battling a particularly significant injury, but that will only provide so much comfort for Madrid, who will now be more concerned about the timing.
Los Blancos are back in action on Saturday with a trip to Mallorca, for which Vinicius could be rested given Álvaro Arbeloa’s side are heavy favorites to see off their relegation-threatened hosts. Three days later, however, is when the mood shifts.
Bayern Munich head to the Santiago Bernabéu on April 7 for the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal tie. The Bundesliga giants are among the favorites to win the entire competition, having been utterly sensational all season.
Arbeloa will need his squad to be at its absolute strongest for the visit of Bayern and any suggestions that Vinicius could be struggling physically will not be well-received.
There are already concerns about the fitness of Kylian Mbappé. The Frenchman played 66 minutes of the same friendly as he continues his search for full fitness after another spell on the sidelines with his troublesome knee injury.
Madrid are also without Rodrygo, who may not return until 2027 after suffering an ACL injury, leaving options in attack very limited.
Young Gonzalo García has helped fill in at times alongside attacking midfielder Brahim Díaz, who has been deployed in a central striker role during Mbappé’s absence. The pair may be handed significant minutes against Mallorca as Arbeloa seeks to protect his biggest names for the meeting with Bayern.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Real Madrid Left Sweating Over Vinicius Jr Injury Blow During International Break.
