Real Madrid player Vinicius Jr. was left off the starting lineup for the match against Atletico Madrid due to an injury he sustained during the warm-up.

Vinicius Jr. of Real Madrid leaves the Atletico Madrid warm-up injured

Madrid’s inability to employ their best player prior to their match against Atleti was a major setback. There was much surprise among the Santiago Bernabeu crowd when the Brazilian was escorted off the pitch only minutes before the match.

Brahim Diaz came in to replace Vinicius, and he had an immediate effect, scoring the first goal of the match after just 20 minutes. Vinicius was on the bench for Carlo Ancelotti, but he did not play in the second half. Instead, the La Liga leaders lost the lead when Marcos Llorente scored an equaliser in extra time.

Real Madrid supporters will be hopeful that Vinicius won’t be missing any more games. The Brazilian has struggled to maintain his health during the season’s first half. Ancelotti, 23, has been a vital member of his club ever since his return. In Real Madrid’s 4-1 Super Cup victory over Barcelona, he scored a hat-trick.

Vinícius Jr.’s injury report following his late absence from the Real Madrid starting lineup to face Atlético | OneFootball: “He could play.”

Vinicius will undergo testing to ensure he is fit to play in his team’s pivotal match against Girona on Saturday. After surpassing rivals Barcelona, Real is the favourite to win La Liga, but Girona has been the season’s biggest surprise thus far and isn’t going down without a fight. The two teams at the top of the table are separated by just two points.