Real Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior will miss Wednesday’s Champions League fixture against Liverpool due to a hamstring injury, the club confirmed on Monday.
“After tests conducted today, our player Vinícius Júnior has been diagnosed by Real Madrid’s medical services with a hamstring injury in his left leg,” the club announced in a statement.
Reports suggest the Brazilian star will be sidelined for nearly a month, ruling him out of the clash with Atalanta on December 10 as well.
Vinícius featured for the full 90 minutes in Real Madrid’s 3-0 La Liga victory over Leganés on Sunday, where he provided an assist for Kylian Mbappé’s opener.
The 24-year-old has been in sensational form this season, tallying four goals in the Champions League and eight in La Liga, and finishing as the runner-up in the 2024 Ballon d’Or.
Real Madrid, however, face an uphill battle in Europe. The defending champions have lost two of their opening four Champions League matches, leaving them 18th in the expanded group stage standings.
Liverpool, under new manager Arne Slot, are in strong form, leading both the Premier League and the Champions League group standings.