Vini to miss Valencia clash after fifth booking

Real Madrid will have to navigate their always tricky trip to Mestalla without their Brazilian talisman.

Suspended for the Valencia clash

Vinicius Jr has been ruled out of Real Madrid’s upcoming fixture against Valencia on Sunday, February 8th (21:00 CET) after collecting his fifth yellow card of the season during the match against Rayo Vallecano.

The Brazilian forward was already walking a disciplinary tightrope heading into the Rayo fixture, sitting on four yellow cards. His fifth booking came in the 83rd minute following an incident with Ilias Akhomach.

According to reports, Vinicius was cautioned after pushing the Moroccan player while complaining about Akhomach’s slow exit from the pitch during a substitution. The referee didn’t hesitate to produce the yellow card, triggering an automatic one-match suspension.

Blow for Los Blancos

Losing Vinicius for the Valencia trip represents a significant setback for Carlo Ancelotti’s side. The Brazilian has been in sparkling form this season and his absence will force the Italian gaffer to reshuffle his attacking options.

The timing couldn’t be worse as Mestalla has traditionally been a proper banana skin for Madrid over the years. Valencia at home are no mugs, and missing one of their star performers will make the task even more challenging.

The history between Vinicius and Valencia adds another layer to this story. The Brazilian has unfortunately been the target of racist abuse during previous visits to Mestalla, making this fixture particularly charged whenever he’s involved.

Ancelotti will now need to find solutions from his squad to cover the absence of one of his most dangerous attacking weapons for what promises to be a proper test away from home.