Vinícius gets his chance to shine: Real Madrid star returns to the spotlight

Real Madrid head coach José Mourinho has confirmed that forward Vinícius Júnior will start in the team’s UEFA Champions League league-phase match against Leipzig in the third round.

TodayPress TV reports that the Portuguese coach made the announcement on the club’s official website.

According to Mourinho, Champions League matches provide an excellent opportunity to keep Vinícius motivated.

“I don’t like doing this, but I am doing it because the situation is unavoidable. Vinícius will start. The Champions League is a way to keep him motivated and ensure that he is not left simply training without playing. He is fresh because he did not play today and has worked hard on his physical condition. I hope everything goes well for him — he deserves it, and we need him,” Mourinho said.

It should be recalled that the Brazilian footballer received a four-match suspension after grabbing an opponent by the hair and protesting to the officials during Real Madrid’s 1–0 La Liga victory over Villarreal in the eighth round.

He missed the ninth-round match against Sevilla and is also set to miss the El Clásico against Barcelona on October 25.

Namiq HUN