Having already seen Eduardo Camavinga pick up a knee injury that will keep him out of action for 8-10 weeks, Real Madrid have now been dealt a double blow as Vinicius Junior is expected to be out for a similar time frame.
Initially, Vinicius was only expected to miss a month, but following confirmation from Real Madrid that he has ruptured the femoris biceps in his left leg, his lay-off will now be doubled at the very least.
As a result, Vinicius will miss Real Madrid’s final two Champions League group stage matches against Napoli and Union Berlin. He will also miss La Liga fixtures against Cadiz, Granada, Real Betis, Villarreal, Alaves, Mallorca, Getafe, Almeria and Las Palmas.
He would also be absent from the Spanish Super Cup semi-final against Atletico Madrid, as well as the final if they were to get there.
Real Madrid hope to have Vinicius back in time for the third Madrid derby of the season against Atletico, which takes place at the start of February. If this proves to be the case, he’d also be fit for the start of the Champions League knockout rounds, which is a crumb of comfort for Los Blancos.