Vinicius Jr handed four-game suspension, set to miss season’s first El Clasico

Real Madrid winger Vinicius Junior has been suspended for four matches and will miss the upcoming El Clasico against Barcelona on Oct 25. The Brazilian was sent off during last week’s LaLiga clash against Villarreal for pulling an opponent’s hair, with the Spanish Football Federation’s disciplinary committee announcing his suspension on Wednesday.

Vinicius received a two-match ban for violent conduct and another two matches for protesting against the officials after his red card. He will also miss Madrid’s league matches against Sevilla on Oct 18, Racing Santander on Nov 1 and Valencia on Nov 7.

Vinicius was shown a red card following a VAR review after pulling Nathan Saliba’s hair during the game against Villarreal. A goal he scored shortly after the incident was also disallowed.

The 26-year-old was furious with the referee’s decision and had to be held back by his teammates as he confronted match official Isidro Diaz de Mera. Madrid manager Jose Mourinho also expressed his disappointment with the officiating and skipped his post-match press conference.

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Despite going down to 10 men, Real Madrid secured a 1-0 victory and remained six points behind league leaders Barcelona. Vinicius later apologised to his teammates and fans on social media, writing, “I am sorry to the team and the fans.”

The winger has had a difficult start to the season, scoring only once in nine appearances. He started on the bench against Villarreal and was sent off around 20 minutes after coming on.

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His suspension means he will miss one of Real Madrid’s biggest matches of the season. Mourinho is set to take charge of his first El Clasico since returning to the club this summer.

Barcelona, meanwhile, have made an impressive start under manager Hansi Flick. The defending Spanish champions have won all 10 of their matches across competitions this season and will aim to continue their strong run when they face their arch-rivals on Oct 25.