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When Real Madrid take to the pitch against Villarreal, Vinícius Júnior will not be bursting down the left flank from the first minute.
The 15-time European champions are eager to recover from a dismal Madrid derby loss that has haunted the squad throughout the three-week September-October international break. Just seven matches into the campaign, Los Blancos already find themselves nine points adrift of league leaders Barcelona.
A victory on Saturday at the Bernabéu would restore some belief in José Mourinho's side. There had been fitness worries surrounding Kylian Mbappé and Ibrahima Konaté after both withdrew from France's squad, but the duo are healthy and named in the starting lineup for the La Liga fixture.
Vinícius Jr, however, will not be partnering Mbappé in attack.
Real Madrid Confirmed Lineup vs. Villarreal
Starting XI (4-2-3-1): Courtois; Alexander-Arnold, Konaté, Rüdiger, Carreras; Tchouaméni, Valverde; Güler, Bellingham, Diomande; Mbappé.
Substitutes: Andriy Lunin (GK), Sergio Mestre (GK), Denzel Dumfries, Marc Cucurella, Bernardo Silva, Eduardo Camavinga, Thiago Pitarch, Brahim Díaz, Carlos Espí, Endrick, Vinícius Júnior.
Why Vinícius Júnior Is Not Playing Against Villarreal
Mourinho has been relatively subdued since his return to the Bernabéu, but he is finally making his presence felt. The Portuguese manager took the bold step of dropping Vinícius Jr for the club's first game back—a fixture they simply cannot afford to lose.
In his place, high-profile summer acquisition Yan Diomande earns a start on the left wing, with Arda Güler operating on the right. Mbappé naturally leads the attack, while Bellingham holds onto his position as the team's No. 10.
The call comes on the back of a series of underwhelming displays from Vinícius Jr for both club and country. The Brazilian managed just one goal in his opening eight appearances for Real Madrid this season and was notably substituted against both Elche and Atlético Madrid.
His international form offered little improvement. Vinícius Jr netted just once from the penalty spot across three outings for Brazil, and his showing against India was so disappointing that Carlo Ancelotti hauled him off at the interval.
Mourinho may also have factored in the heavy workload Vinícius Jr carried during the break, along with the lengthy journey back to Spain from India. Anticipated starters Marc Cucurella and Denzel Dumfries are similarly relegated to the bench.
Yet Vinícius Jr's own acknowledged dip in form is hard to overlook. Perhaps this benching is the jolt the winger requires to rediscover his best—otherwise, Diomande may well cement his place on the left wing as his own.