Real Madrid star Vinicius out of Liverpool clash with hamstring injury

Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior sidelined with hamstring injury, missing Champions League match against Liverpool, sparking criticism of match schedules.

Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior has suffered a hamstring injury, said the Spanish club Monday (November 25, 2024), ruling him out of the upcoming Champions League match with Liverpool.

“After tests taken today our player Vinicius Junior has been diagnosed by Real Madrid’s medical services with a hamstring injury in his left leg,” the club said in a statement.

Spanish media reported the Brazilian winger is expected to miss almost a month, which would also keep him out of the Champions League visit to Atalanta on December 10, as well as Wednesday’s (November 20, 2024) match at Anfield.

Vinicius played the full 90 minutes of Madrid’s 3-0 win at Leganes in La Liga on Sunday (November 24, 2024), setting up Kylian Mbappe for the opening goal.

“The crazy calendar... now to recover,” wrote the 24-year-old on social media platform X.

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez railed against European and world football governing bodies UEFA and FIFA respectively on Sunday (November 24, 2024) for their expanding match programmes.

The Champions League this season features eight group matches instead of six and an extra round which some teams will participate in if they finish outside the top eight.