José Mourinho insisted no player on his roster is “untouchable” ahead of Real Madrid’s Champions League clash against RB Leipzig on Wednesday.
The manager made the remarks when asked directly whether Vinícius Júnior’s place in the Madrid starting XI was in doubt, with the forward out of form and now suspended from La Liga action until November.
The Brazilian is free to play in the Champions League and is expected start against Leipzig. However, with Los Blancos shining in his absence at the weekend in the 4–1 win over Sevilla, there have been suggestions that the team is actually better off without Vinícius Jr.
“Only the badge is untouchable,” Mourinho said in his press conference on Tuesday. “I don’t like the concept of ‘untouchable’ players.
“What makes players untouchable isn’t a captain’s armband, or how long they’ve been at the club, or their status. What makes a player untouchable is performance.”
Vinícius Jr’s Form a Worry
Mourinho’s blunt words constitute a marked change in tone from the manager, who has—so far—backed Vinícius Jr this season amid a disappointing run of form that has seen him go without a goal since August.
Amid boos and whistles from the Bernabéu crowd towards the club’s No. 7 earlier this season, Mourinho responded by saying: “In Portugal there is a proverb: you only throw stones at trees that bear fruit.
“So what Vini has done here over recent years? How many Champions Leagues has he won, how many goals has he scored, how many balls has he won? His achievements speak for themselves so he is the tree that has a lot of fruit on it and people want to get a piece of Viní.”
Ahead of the win over Roma, Mourinho then claimed it was “heartbreaking” to see his star in such a bad run of form, expressing his hope that the “real Vinícius” would reappear in the Champions League.
A week on, the manager seems to be making it clear he is ready to drop the superstar forward to the bench if needed.
For his part, Vinícius Jr has admitted to being “angry with myself for not being at my best,” while he suggested he was suffering with confidence issues during the last international break.
Champions League Now Huge for Struggling Star
Vinícius Jr is a known favorite of club president Florentino Pérez and one of the locker room’s biggest fish. After signing a big-money contract extension back in August, Vinícius Jr essentially became unsellable. However, his recent performances mean he is not undroppable for Mourinho—as awkward as that may be to handle for all parties.
With Vinícius Jr banned in La Liga until Nov. 7—as a result of receiving a four-match suspension for pulling Nathan Saliba’s hair (and his subsequent protests to the referee) in the win over Villarreal—the upcoming Champions League fixtures take on extra weight for the Brazilian.
The clashes with Leipzig on Wednesday and AEK Athens on Nov. 4 constitute the only opportunities Vinícius Jr will have to play for his club prior to the next international break. Those two games could end up being decisive for the 26-year-old’s season.
With Yan Diomande now shining—the teenage Ivorian has four goal contributions in his last three games, including a goal of the month contender against Sevilla—Vinícius Jr has genuine competition for the left wing for the first time in years.
A scorer in two finals, the Champions League has been the arena of Vinícius Jr’s biggest triumphs as a Real Madrid star. He will need to find a way to rekindle some of that magic against Leipzig to convince Mourinho that he still warrants his place in Los Blancos best XI.
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