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Vinicius Junior is set to miss Brazil's upcoming international fixtures after sustaining a neck injury in Real Madrid's 2-0 win over Villareal (October 5). The forward was on the scoresheet at the Santiago Bernabeu but came off in the 79th minute.
It's been confirmed that Vinicius will miss Brazil's FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Chile (October 11) and Peru (October 16). This is a setback for the Selecao, which is fifth in the CONMEBOL qualifying table.
Carlo Ancelotti spoke after the game about Vinicius' injury and what forced him off (via Madrid Universal):
"Vinicius has a problem with his neck and is completely blocked, he is in a lot of pain and will also be tested tomorrow."
Vinicius has made a fine start to the season, registering four goals and seven assists in 12 games across competitions. Real Madrid will be eager for him to be fit once the international break concludes. His injury isn't thought to be serious, which is positive news.
The Brazilian winger wasn't the only significant injury sustained during the win over Villareal. Dani Carvajal suffered an ACL injury and will miss the rest of the season.
Los Blancos' win put them on to 21 points in the La Liga table but they are three points behind leaders Barcelona. Ancelotti's men turn their attention to the UEFA Champions League on October 22 when they face Borussia Dortmund. They suffered a shock 1-0 loss away to LOSC Lille on Wednesday (October 2).
Carlo Ancelotti reacts to Real Madrid's win against Villareal thanks to Vinicius and Federico Valverde's goals
Ancelotti was happy to see Real Madrid bounce back from their midweek defeat to Lille with a victory against Villareal. The Italian coach liked his team's attitude (via the aforementioned source):
"We played with order and attitude, without too much intensity. From the 1-0 we managed the game well, defending compactly. It could have been a tricky game and we got through it correctly."
Los Blancos controlled proceedings and opened the scoring in the 14th minute. Federico Valverde struck from range with a fierce effort to give his side the lead.
Vinicius doubled that lead in the 73rd minute with an excellent finish of his own as Valverde turned provider. It was a job well done for Madrid who needed to react after suffering their first Champions League defeat since May 2023 against Lille.
