Why isn’t Vinícius Júnior playing for Real Madrid against Granada in LaLiga?

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti doesn’t have his injury issues to seek at the moment, with first-team players dropping like flies in recent weeks in particular. Ancelotti’s midfield has been especially depleted, with Eduardo Camavinga (knee) and Aurélien Tchouaméni (stress fracture) sidelined.

How long will Vinícius be out for?

But Vinícius’ absence may well be the biggest blow, given his importance to the Madrid attack and the forward is missing Saturday’s game with Granada. The 23-year-old was forced off the field in Brazil’s 2-1 defeat to Colombia on 16 November, with a club statement later revealing he had suffered “a tear in the biceps femoris in his left leg”.

As a result, he is expected to miss a total of two and a half months of action, with his returned pencilled in for January at the earliest. The Brazilian has scored six goals and assisted a further four in 13 appearances in all competitions this season.

Why isn’t Courtois playing for Real Madrid against Granada?

Los Blancos’ goalkeepers have also been struck by injury, most notably first-choice stopper Thibaut Courtois. The Belgian tore his anterior cruciate ligament in training just before the start of the season and may not play again until 2024-25. Kepa, signed on loan from Chelsea, as his replacement, also missed out against Napoli but is back on the bench against Granada.

Just a matter of days after Courtois suffered his ACL tear, central defender Éder Militão sustained a similar injury in the opening league game of the same away to Athletic Club and also faces a lengthy spell out of action.