Real Madrid performed perfectly without Vinicius Junior against Girona this Saturday, as part of the 16th matchday of La Liga. Now focused on Atalanta Bergamo, Carlo Ancelotti provided an update on his squad.
Injured well before the fifth matchday of the Champions League against Liverpool (a 2-0 defeat), Vinicius Junior returned to group training this Friday. While the Madrid team’s record has been mixed in the absence of the Brazilian star (2 defeats against strong teams and 2 wins against weaker ones), an urgent return is anticipated for the tough encounter against Atalanta Bergamo.
Ancelotti’s worrying silence on Vinicius
Indeed, this Wednesday, Carlo Ancelotti and his men will travel to Bergamo to face the fifth-placed team in the regular phase of the Champions League (UEFA’s new format). Ranked 24th after five matches in this stage, Real Madrid cannot afford any mistakes, as they are on the brink of elimination. For this crucial match, Vinicius Junior is expected to take the field to support Kylian Mbappé in the quest for goals. Unfortunately, in a press conference following the victory over Girona, Carlo Ancelotti did not provide any updates on the physical condition of the 2024 Ballon d’Or runner-up.
While he has already confirmed Ferland Mendy’s absence for this significant clash and reassured fans about Jude Bellingham’s condition—he is merely fatigued and should be ready to play on Tuesday against Atalanta—Carlo Ancelotti said nothing about Vinicius Junior. Today, the situation of the 24-year-old star is being closely monitored. If his absence is ultimately confirmed against the Bergamaschi, who are on a streak of nine consecutive wins across all competitions, it would be a terrible blow for Los Blancos.
Since the start of the season, Real Madrid have struggled against top teams. They were swept aside by Barça and outplayed by AC Milan, who were not even in great form. Carlo Ancelotti and his squad further demonstrated their struggles against Liverpool and Athletic Bilbao. Even in some of these big games, Vinicius Junior featured but could not make a difference. Against Atalanta, the team will need to be almost fully fit offensively to have any chance of overcoming the Italian side, who have not lost a match since September.
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