Real Madrid have confirmed that Vinicius Junior suffered "a cervical injury" during Saturday's La Liga clash against Villarreal, with the Brazilian now facing a spell on the sidelines.
Los Blancos head coach Carlo Ancelotti said after the 2-0 victory over Villarreal that Vinicius had been forced off the field in the latter stages of the clash due to an issue relating to his neck and shoulder.
"He's had a cervical problem and is completely blocked. He's in pain and will be tested in the next few hours," Ancelotti told reporters during his post-match press conference.
Real Madrid have now released a statement confirming the injury blow for the forward, who doubled Real Madrid's advantage against Villarreal with a spectacular strike from distance.
"Following tests carried out on our player Vinicius Junior, he has been diagnosed with a cervical injury. Pending evolution," read a statement from the Spanish and European champions.
Vinicius suffered "a cervical injury" against Villarreal
Vinicius has been in strong form for Real Madrid during the 2024-25 campaign, scoring four goals and registering seven assists in 12 appearances in all competitions.
The attacker will now need to be assessed before it is determined whether he will be available for Real Madrid's first game after the international break, which comes against Celta Vigo on October 19.
Los Blancos will then end the month with huge fixtures against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League and Barcelona in La Liga, and there is confidence that he will return for those games.
Vinicius is highly unlikely to be involved for Brazil during the October international break, although there has not yet been a statement confirming that he has withdrawn from the squad.
Which players are currently injured for Real Madrid?
Real Madrid suffered a huge injury blow against Villarreal, with Dani Carvajal damaging his ACL, and the Spain international is now set to be missing for the remainder of the season.
Thibaut Courtois is also sidelined until after the international break with a hip problem, while David Alaba is not yet ready to return, as he continues to recover from the serious knee injury that he suffered last year.
Brahim Diaz is also unavailable with a hamstring problem, but Dani Ceballos was back on the bench against Villarreal after recovering from an ankle issue.
Courtois is likely to return for Real Madrid's next game, but Brahim is out until November, while Alaba is unlikely to be back on the field until the latter stages of the year or potentially in the early stages of 2025.
