Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr. is making a quicker recovery than expected after suffering a hamstring injury, and he is now hoping to return earlier than originally planned.
According to a report from Mario Cortegana in The Athletic, the 24-year-old Brazilian player was initially set to be out for several weeks, with his return believed to be in time for the final of the newly introduced Intercontinental Cup, which will take place on December 18.
However, Vinicius has made significant progress in his recovery and is now targeting a comeback in either Madrid’s Champions League match against Atalanta on December 10 or the La Liga game against Rayo Vallecano on December 14.
This marks a much faster recovery timeline than anticipated, as he had been expected to miss a few more matches.
What happened to Vinicius?
Vinicius first experienced discomfort after Real Madrid’s 4-1 victory over Leganes on November 24, when he reported feeling unusually tired.
Following scans, it was confirmed that he had sustained an injury to his left thigh, which led to the prediction that he would be sidelined for around three weeks.
Since then, he has missed Madrid’s last three matches across all competitions, with the team suffering two defeats in that period. He is also expected to be absent from the upcoming La Liga fixture against Girona.
Vinicius is missed
Despite these setbacks, Vinicius has had an impressive start to the season, contributing 12 goals and 8 assists in just 18 appearances so far.
His absence has been felt, especially as Madrid’s season has been plagued by injury issues, a situation both he and manager Carlo Ancelotti have expressed concerns about.
The heavy fixture schedule has been a topic of debate, with many feeling that it plays a significant role in the growing number of injuries affecting the squad this season.