Mourinho Vinicius Jr. Real Madrid lineup, Digi Mart USA News: Coach José Mourinho has warned that Vinicius Jr. will not automatically return to the Real Madrid starting lineup once his domestic suspension ends, given the Brazilian forward’s recent decline in form.
Vinicius will miss Real Madrid’s away match against Valencia on November 7 as he serves the remaining four matches of a suspension for a red card received in last month’s match against Villarreal. Real Madrid have nonetheless won all three of their league matches since the 26-year-old was sent off, beating Sevilla 4-1, Barcelona 2-1 and Racing Santander 3-0.
New signing Jan Diomande has proven himself as a replacement for Vinicius, scoring four goals and providing three assists in his last six matches. Although Mourinho has publicly defended Vinicius, the Portuguese coach made his priorities clear.
“For me, the team is the most important thing. I never want to harm the team just to favor one individual.
When Vinicius returns to his normal level and is ready to play, I will study how to arrange things,” Mourinho said.
“I must do my best to help players reach their best levels. I always believe in their true potential.
A weak player, no matter how hard he tries, will find it difficult to develop, while a good player, even in times when his form dips, always has the chance to regain his brilliance. His teammates always support Vinicius with complete loyalty, and we have full confidence in him.
But ultimately, when making decisions, the collective interest must be the priority.”
Vinicius started Real Madrid’s midweek Champions League match against AEK Athens, but his performance continued to draw criticism. In a match where Real Madrid trailed twice, Vinicius was substituted immediately after Jude Bellingham equalized to make it 2-2.
He remained on the bench as Federico Valverde scored the winning goal in stoppage time.
Real Madrid are seeking their eighth consecutive win across all competitions this week. However, Mourinho acknowledged that the way his team won in Greece showed the side still needs improvement: “It is better that we do not have to come back from behind.
For example, against Santander, leading 3-0 in the first half was much better. Coming back from behind has positive and negative aspects.
We need more consistency from the start of the match.”
Before the 12th round of La Liga, Real Madrid sit third, three points behind leaders Barcelona. A win would allow them to close the gap on the top spot before Barcelona visit second-placed Atletico Madrid on November 8.
When asked for his view on the Atletico Madrid versus Barcelona match, Mourinho admitted candidly: “Atletico against Barcelona? I wish both teams would lose!
Unfortunately, that will not happen. Certainly, one of the two teams will drop points, and that is the best possible news.”
