Vinicius Jr will not be back for Real Madrid’s derby vs Atletico this weekend

Real Madrid will come up against their biggest test of the 2023/24 season so far this weekend when they lock horns with neighbours Atletico Madrid.

However, they will once again have to face the challenge without one of their main players in the form of Vinicius Jr, reports Sergio Quirante.

No risks with Vinicius

Vinicius picked up an injury during Real Madrid’s third La Liga game of the season against Celta Vigo, following which he was subbed off.

The 23-year-old has since missed the last three matches against Getafe, Real Sociedad, and Union Berlin.

Reports earlier this week suggested that Vinicius had resumed training individually with the ball, which gave hopes that the attacker might make an early comeback in time for the derby against Atletico.

The Brazilian international has worked very hard to try and bring forward his return date and is closing in on making a comeback.

But Real Madrid are not prepared to take any risks with their star attacker. As such, he will not be rushed back for the derby against Atletico Madrid this week.

Who else will be absent?

Apart from Vinicius, Real Madrid are set to be without four other players, as Thibaut Courtois, Eder Militao, Arda Guler, and Dani Carvajal are also out with injuries.

Guler is close to a return, with the Turkish wonderkid expected to resume training with the team on Monday. As for Carvajal, he will undergo fresh scans tomorrow to determine the extent of his injury.

Atletico Madrid, too, have some injuries heading into the game, with young prospect Pablo Barrios among those set to be unavailable for the derby.