Real Madrid
Carlo Ancelotti reveals when Vinicius Jr will return for Real Madrid
The Brazilian has been suffering from injury but is now close to a full recovery.
Everyone thought a 0-3 win over Leganés, a match without many, dare I say any problems, came and went without a trace. It wouldn’t make the end-of-season DVD, and a Netflix director would certainly gloss over it, the only memory a flash of a result on the screen.
But the footage was not thrown onto the cutting floor: a fine-toothed comb meticulously picked at it, multiple pairs of wide eyes excavating through every micro-second of evidence like a palaeontologist’s brush delicately brushes away the dust on the 65-million year-old remains of an extinct reptile.
And so, there it was, the smoking gun: a hand on the back of his leg. In the last minute of the routine win, Vini’s hamstring went and he was out. The fact the news came as a surprise meant it hurt even more. Then it was revealed that us mere mortals on the outside were the only ones who didn’t know: “I played him down the middle as the workload is less”, Ancelotti admitted after it was made known that Vinicius Jr was set to be out for 3 to 4 weeks with a hamstring injury.
Since then, the Madrid machine has crunched and whirred and flashing lights have blinked in all manner of ways. It’s not just because Vinicius Jr was injured that Real Madrid haven’t got going - it doesn’t help, of course - but the second best player in the world is not being challenged by anyone in his team for that title, it’s fair to say.
Will Vinicius Jr play for Real Madrid against Girona?
His absence has, partly coincidentally, come along with his side’s stumble through the last few games, which have seen them lose 5 of 11. In Real Madrid World™, it’s heresy. There is no fight, no drive, no anger, no... danger. Real Madrid against Athletic Club was a showing of all those things from the opposition who took the game more seriously by a factor of levels only understood by Stephen Hawking, who could do astrophysics equations in his head. Real Madrid need Vinicius Jr back as much as they ever have.
Luckily for them, Carlo Ancelotti revealed that the player will be back very soon. “Good news”, he called it, and he’s right. “It’s encouraging for us to see Vini, who was injured, to have recovered so well. He won’t be back tomorrow (against Girona), but he will be ready for the game in the Champions League (Tuesday 10 December, vs Atalanta)."
The game between Girona - Real Madrid will be played on Saturday December 7 at Estadi Montilivi with kick off at 3:00 p.m. ET / 12:00 p.m. PT.
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