Vinícius Júnior sustained a thigh injury against Leganes that will keep him on the sidelines for up to six of Real Madrid's upcoming matches, including the club's trip to Anfield.
Real Madrid's injury woes continue to worsen. Vinícius Júnior now joins Dani Carvajal, Éder Militão, Rodrygo and Aurélien Tchouaméni in the infirmary. The winger showed no signs of a problem in Real Madrid's first match back from the November international break, bagging an assist and playing all 90 minutes. After the La Liga clash, though, Vinícius Júnior was diagnosed with a significant injury.
"Following tests carried out today by the Real Madrid Medical Services on our player Vini Jr., he has been diagnosed with an injury to the biceps femoris in his left leg. His progress will be monitored," the club said in an official statement.
Vinícius Júnior leads Real Madrid in scoring with 12 goals and five assists across all competitions. The Brazilian featured in all 18 of Los Blancos' matches this season, but now is looking at a lengthy period on the sidelines.
Here's the latest on Vinícius Júnior's injury.
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When Will Vinícius Júnior Return From Injury?
Real Madrid did not provide a definitive timetable for Vinícius Júnior's return, but the striker is expected to be out for between three and four weeks, per ESPN. He will likely not play again until mid to late December.
With such a hectic schedule coming up, Vinícius Júnior is set to miss a handful of matches, including Champions League fixtures against Liverpool and Atalanta. The winger will be greatly missed in the UCL considering Real Madrid already suffered two defeats in the competition.
Carlo Ancelotti will also be without his best player against Getafe, Athletic Club, Girona and Rayo Vallecano. If Vinícius Júnior's recovery takes a full four weeks, he will also miss Real Madrid's La Liga match against Sevilla on Dec. 22.
There is always the possibility that he returns earlier than expected, but one thing is for certain—he will miss the trip to Anfield.
Potential Vinícius Júnior Replacements for Real Madrid
Realistically, no one can replace Vinícius Júnior for Real Madrid, but Kylian Mbappé will be the man to assume the Brazilian's place on the left wing. It is no secret the Frenchman has had trouble adjusting to life as a No. 9 and now, he gets to return to his favored position.
With Rodrygo also injured, Brahim Díaz will join Mbappé up top. The 25-year-old scored five goals for Morocco during the November international break and will hope to translate his scintillating form to his club.
Jude Bellingham will likely play as a false nine, but if Ancelotti wants to roll out his traditional 4-3-3, then Endrick could be in for some minutes. The Brazilian is the team's only natural striker available.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Vinicius Junior Injury: Progress & Potential Return Date for Real Madrid Winger.
