The current international season is not going well for Brazil: After two injury-related departures, coach Carlo Ancelotti is now also worried about Vinicius Junior for the Croatia game on Wednesday.
The club coaches are watching the Brazilian national team’s international tour of the USA with particular concern these days. After the 2-1 defeat to France in Foxborough in the US state of Massachusetts, there was already two pieces of really bad news: According to FC Barcelona, they will have to do without key player Raphinha for at least five weeks at a crucial stage of the season.
The latter suffered a right thigh injury against the 2018 world champions and will miss three immensely important matches against Atletico Madrid – two of them in the Champions League quarter-finals. Raphinha’s national team colleague Wesley, who is a permanent fixture at AS Roma and has started 24 Serie A games, also had to travel back to Italy early with a muscle injury.
Call-up against Croatia on the cards
However, Real Madrid’s officials and doctors have also been on alert since Friday at the latest. Leader Vinicius Junior has not been training with the team since the France game. According to the Brazilian portal Globo Esporte, his participation in the second US test against Croatia on Wednesday (2:00) at the Camping World Stadium in Orlando (Florida) is on the cards.
Until now, Vinicius Junior has only completed exercises in the gym and not on the pitch. The eccentric striker spent 90 minutes of the test against France on the pitch before reportedly feeling pain in his thigh due to the physical strain. According to the Brazilian Football Association (CBF), Vinicius Junior is currently suffering from “a normal case of stress management”. Is this really just a precautionary measure or something more?
Ral Madrid in particular will want to avoid risk. With the Whites still four points behind Barcelona in La Liga, they need their in-form striker. In addition, a tough Champions League home game against FC Bayern awaits in just nine days’ time, with the Blancos playing at the Allianz Arena eight days later. A loss would come at the worst possible time.
