Vinicius Junior set to miss Real Madrid’s El Clasico against Barcelona

Vinicius Junior is unlikely to play for Real Madrid against Barcelona on 25 October after the club reportedly began preparing for the El Clasico without him.

The Brazil forward was sent off during Real Madrid’s match against Villarreal and is expected to receive a three-match suspension, according to Spanish radio station Cadena COPE. Real Madrid hope an appeal could reduce the punishment to two matches, but the club is already treating Vinicius’ absence at Camp Nou as the most likely outcome while it awaits the final decision from the disciplinary committee.

Real Madrid will face Sevilla before travelling to Barcelona. Even if the club succeeds in reducing the ban to its minimum expected length, Vinicius would still miss the meeting with Barcelona.

Referee’s report could lead to longer ban

Referee Diaz de Mera stated in his report that Vinicius was dismissed in the 73rd minute for “pulling the hair of an opponent while the ball was in play, without the two players being involved in a direct contest for the ball”.

That description could result in the incident being treated as an offence carrying a suspension of more than one match. The fact that the incident took place away from a direct challenge for possession may be considered when the disciplinary committee assesses the punishment.

The report also said Vinicius continued to protest loudly after being shown the red card and approached the referee in an aggressive manner. His team-mates had to intervene and pull him away from the official.

Those details could expose the forward to an additional sanction, depending on the committee’s assessment of his conduct.

Setback for Vinicius and Real Madrid

The possibility of losing Vinicius for the El Clasico comes at a difficult stage of the season for Real Madrid. The player has experienced a decline in form and results at the start of the campaign, and he began the Villarreal match on the substitutes’ bench before coming on and later being sent off.

If the suspension is confirmed, Real Madrid will be without one of their principal attacking options for their meeting with Barcelona. Vinicius would also face another setback after criticism of both his performance and his behaviour during the match against Villarreal.

No final decision has yet been announced. However, Cadena COPE’s report indicates that Real Madrid have started planning for the El Clasico without their Brazilian forward while seeking to reduce the length of his suspension through an appeal.