Real Madrid will make an overdue decision on whether to immediately call up Vinicius Junior to their starting team after the Brazilian superstar’s return to their squad was shown for Tuesday’s Champions League clash against Atalanta, while the statement from his Ballon d’Or snub still shines. debate in his homeland.
The 24-year-old has missed Real Madrid’s last four games after injuring his hamstring in the back of his thigh on November 24 and was expected to be out for at least a month. However, Vinicius Junior recovered quicker than expected and, after returning to school last week, the 113-goal star has now been included in their squad for Tuesday’s vital UCL clash against leaders Atalanta. of Serie A.
Carlo Ancelotti has seen his squad decimated by injuries this season and the recent loss of Vini Jr was another headache the Los Blancos boss could have done without. The reigning European champions have work to do if they are to reach the next phase of the Champions League, and go into this week’s round of fixtures in 24th place, with just six points on the board from 15 available so far.
Ancelotti will now have to decide whether to threaten the player from the start at the Gewiss Stadium, although he has at least shown that the player is back in the fight. Not so smart for David Alaba, who will have to wait until the new year before making his return.
“Seeing Vinicius is good news, he has recovered very well. He may not be available for Girona, but he will be available for the Champions League. Alaba has helped us a lot in training, but he still wants a month. He will return in January. The deadline for him is next year.
Meanwhile, the debate surrounding Vinicius Junior’s Ballon d’Or continues to dominate the headlines in Brazil and now one of his country’s most prominent former stars, Ronaldo Nazario, has weighed in on the debate and named who he thinks won the award instead. by Rodri.
“Without harming Rodri, Vinicius was hoping to win the Ballon d’Or, which wasted a wonderful opportunity to crown Vinicius as the most productive in the world,” Ronaldo told Marca.
“It has nothing to do with Rodri, let’s be clear, but Vinicius was much more decisive last season. “
Somewhat controversially, Ronaldo added: “What am I going to say if the real Ballon d’Or winner is Florentino Perez, he is a father to me. He taught me a lot and gave me everything in the world of football.”
Although the absence of Vinicius Junior has allowed Ancelotti to create more for Arda Guler and Brahim Diaz, neither game carries the same goal risk as the former Flamengo player, who has 178 contributions (95 goals, 83 assists) in 282 appearances. The whites.
Prior to picking up his injury, Vinicius Junior has played a total of 22 matches with club and country so far this season – a heavy workload. Since October 9, he completed the full 90 minutes in seven of eight fixtures while managing 75 minutes when netting a hat-trick against Osasuna on the eve of the November international break.
And while Real scored a 3-0 win over Girona on Saturday to close the gap on leaders Barcelona to two points with the capital club also having a match in hand, they did draw a blank against Liverpool in the Champions League and only scored once in a 2-1 loss at Athletic Club.
It would therefore not be unexpected if Ancelotti accepted the threat of sending the player straight back into his starting XI for the clash against Bergamo, which has become incredibly vital to Real’s chances of progressing to the next phase of the Array festival.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid have been handed a blow in their quest to prise William Saliba away from Arsenal after the French defender spoke out over his future.
Sources have shown TEAMtalk that Los Blancos are in favor of a long-term move for the Gunners defender after contacting his entourage about a conceivable move.
However, after attending a network event in Islington, north London, Saliba made clear his loyalty to the Gunners and his happiness at living in London.
When it comes to departures, one guy who finds himself linked to an exit is Aurelien Tchouameni, who has been heavily touted to move to Liverpool in 2025.
However, reports in Spain now claim that PSG are the team maximum maximum probably to pursue his signing, and Real Madrid are now giving the asking worth for a move.
And finally, Real Madrid are also being linked with a surprise move to sign Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez. The Hungarian has strongly been linked with moves to Liverpool and Manchester United in recent weeks.