VINICIUS JUNIOR FACES POSSIBLE BAN AFTER RED CARD V VILLARREAL

Real Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior was sent off during his side's 1-0 win over Villarreal after a VAR review found he had pulled the hair of Villarreal defender Nathan Saliba. The incident came in the same sequence as a goal he had scored, which was subsequently disallowed following the review. Real Madrid were left to play out the remainder of the match with ten men. Vinícius now faces the possibility of a suspension that would rule him out of the La Liga fixture against Barcelona on 25 October, commonly known as El Clásico. Whether he is available will depend on a ruling from the disciplinary committee.

According to the referee's report, Vinícius protested loudly and approached the referee with what the report described as an aggressive attitude following his dismissal. The report also stated that the forward had to be restrained by his own teammates. The red card overturned what would have been a goal for Vinícius in the same passage of play, compounding the setback for Real Madrid in the match. No details of any additional disciplinary charge beyond the sending-off have been confirmed.

Real Madrid will be hoping to have Vinícius available for the fixture against Barcelona, one of the most significant matches of the Spanish football calendar. His pace and attacking threat are regarded as potentially important factors in that meeting. The final decision on any suspension rests with the disciplinary committee, which has yet to rule on the case. Until that ruling is made, Vinícius's availability for the 25 October match remains undecided.