Vinícius suspended for four league games but eligible to face Roma

Vinícius Júnior will miss Real Madrid’s Clásico against Barcelona, but his four-match suspension applies only to league fixtures, leaving him available for the Champions League meeting with Roma. The split means Madrid lose him for a major domestic match without losing him for their European clash with the Italian side.

The La Liga commission handed Vinícius two matches for pulling Villarreal’s Nathan Saliba’s hair and two for his reaction to the referee, according to the report. The incident followed a counter-attack in which Vinícius appeared to score Madrid’s second goal. VAR identified the hair-pull, the goal was disallowed and the Brazilian received a direct red card.

Vinícius reacted angrily and teammate Antonio Rüdiger held him back. The resulting ban rules him out of league games against Sevilla on October 18, Barcelona on October 25, Racing de Santander on November 1 and Valencia on November 7. The Clásico is therefore one of four league matches he will miss, not a separate European suspension.

That distinction matters for Madrid’s schedule: Vinícius remains eligible for their Champions League match against Roma, and the report says he is expected to start. Roma have made a strong start to their Serie A campaign, taking 14 points from six games with four wins and two draws to sit third. Their next league fixture is at home to Genoa on October 17.

For Madrid, the immediate cost is a four-game absence in the league, including the meeting with Barcelona. But the ban does not remove Vinícius from the European fixture against a Roma side that has started its domestic season with consistent results. His availability in that match gives Madrid a different picture from the one they face in the Clásico.