Vinicius Junior banned for four matches and ruled out of El Clasico

Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior will miss the first El Clasico of the season after the Spanish Football Federation’s disciplinary committee imposed a four-match suspension on him.

The Brazil international was given a two-match ban for pulling Nathan Saliba’s hair and a further two matches for his conduct towards the referee during Madrid’s 1-0 win over Villarreal on Saturday.

Vinicius was sent off after a VAR review ruled out what appeared to be his second goal of the game. He had converted Jude Bellingham’s pass, but footage showed him pulling Saliba’s hair during the build-up.

The disciplinary report said the additional punishment followed an aggressive argument with the referee, during which Vinicius had to be held back by his team-mates.

As a result, the 25-year-old will miss LaLiga matches against Sevilla, Barcelona, Racing Santander and Valencia. His suspension includes Madrid’s trip to Camp Nou to face Barcelona on 25 October.

The ban is a setback for Madrid coach Jose Mourinho, who will be without one of his principal attacking players for the meeting with their arch-rivals. Vinicius had already endured a difficult start to the campaign and was named among the substitutes against Villarreal before being introduced from the bench.

Vinicius apologised to Madrid supporters on social media after the incident, while the club are reportedly preparing an appeal against the disciplinary decision.

The suspension applies only to domestic competitions. Vinicius can therefore continue to play in Madrid’s Champions League matches against Roma, RB Leipzig and AEK while he serves the LaLiga ban.

If the punishment is not changed, he will be eligible to return to league action after the November international break.

Vinicius recently signed a new long-term contract with Madrid running until 2032, following increased speculation about his future during the final year of his previous agreement.