Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho has warned Vinicius Junior and the club’s other star players that their places in the team are not guaranteed, insisting that performances must determine selection.

Mourinho issued the warning on Tuesday ahead of Madrid’s Champions League clash against RB Leipzig on Wednesday, saying no player should be considered untouchable because of their reputation, transfer fee or status at the club.

Vinicius has struggled for form this season and is serving a four-match La Liga suspension for hair-pulling, but remains available for the European fixture.

Meanwhile, Ivorian winger Yan Diomande, Madrid’s record signing at €140 million ($157 million), has impressed in recent weeks, scoring against Sevilla on Sunday in Vinicius’s absence.

Asked whether Vinicius’s position was under threat following Diomande’s performances, Mourinho said: “Only the club badge is untouchable.”

“I don’t like the concept of untouchable players.

“What makes a player untouchable is not his status, the armband, his years at the club, how much was paid for him. What makes him untouchable is his performance on the pitch,” he added.

Mourinho confirmed that Vinicius would start on the left wing against Leipzig but said he had yet to inform Diomande whether he would also feature in the starting lineup.

Madrid will seek a third consecutive victory in the Champions League league phase when they host the Bundesliga side.

However, they face a tougher challenge in La Liga, where they sit third, six points behind leaders Barcelona ahead of Sunday’s meeting between the rivals.

The Portuguese coach admitted that Madrid were still some distance from reaching the level he wanted, despite having spent several months working with the squad.

“A long way off… we’ve been here three or four months, it’s impossible to be where we want to be,” Mourinho said.

“We always have to improve, be it individually or collectively. I understand the demands at this club are the maximum.”

Mourinho, who previously managed Madrid from 2010 to 2013, said he understood the expectations surrounding the club and remained focused on improving the team.

“I’ve been here three years (2010-2013), and so I know perfectly well how things are. I can’t lose my direction, even though I know there is a lot of work to do,” he said.

Meanwhile, French defender Ibrahima Konate praised Mourinho’s authority and reputation as a manager.

“He’s a great manager, I think he has this aura that not many managers have, because he doesn’t need to speak and everyone will listen and respect him,” Konate told reporters.