Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso, is delighted that his predecessor has taken all the necessary precautions with the star striker Vinicius Junior, after Carlo Ancelotti sheltered him during the South American World Cup qualifiers. However, the apparent injury of the Brazilian striker, just a week before the Club World Cup, is disturbing.
Vinicius was undoubtedly the most present player under the colors of Ancelotti at Real Madrid. After a difficult 0-0 draw against the equator, the Seleçao found itself again in difficulty against Paraguay. Just before half-time, Vinicius was the fastest in the surface to convert the first goal of the Ancelotti era to Brazil, and finally the goal of victory, thus ensuring its qualification for the 2026 World Cup.
Vinicius left the field on injury at the end of the match.
However, his evening was also marked by a negative note. 12 minutes from the end, Vinicius was replaced by Ancelotti, following strong pain in the back of the leg, according to Diario As. It is of course too early to assess the severity of an injury, but it will certainly constitute a concern for Alonso just a week before the beginnings of the Merengues in the World Cup against Al-Hilal. Vinicius will miss the next Brazil qualification match against Chile at home, due to an accumulation of yellow cards. Point encouraging: Vinicius was smiling and relaxed after the match, stressing that it was time to celebrate their qualification above all.
Vinicius ready to play a key role under the direction of Xabi Alonso
Although his team for the Club World Cup is not yet defined, Alonso plans a future with Vinicius playing a key role in his favorite starting eleven alongside Kylian Mbappé in attack. With several players from the team gave injury, Alonso should already align a first under-equipped team against al-Hilal, which would probably have been the case if Vinicius was in great shape. However, he counts on Rodrygo Goes, absent from the trip with Brazil after being dismissed by Ancelotti.
