It’s unlikely that José Mourinho’s heart was repaired after Vinícius Júnior’s showing in Rome, with the Brazilian’s struggles continuing in the Eternal City.

The returning Real Madrid boss is trying his utmost to coax the very best out of his No. 7, having previously maximized the talents of so many maverick stars in previous jobs.

In 10 outings across all competitions this season, Vinícius Jr has recorded four goal contributions and scored just once—a poultry return for a player of his caliber. We‘re talking about someone who was ever so close to getting their hands on the Ballon d’Or two years ago, and has widely been recognized as one of the world’s best for much of the 2020s.

It’s a slump unlike anything he’s endured since his rise to superstardom, and there will be few opportunities for Vinícius Jr to play his way back into form before the November international break.

The Brazilian isn’t involved in Madrid’s La Liga clash against Sevilla on Sunday and will be out of domestic action for the next few weeks.

Why Vinícius Júnior Isn‘t Playing vs. Sevilla

Vinícius Jr thought he’d ended a six-week wait for a goal from open play when he converted from close range against Villarreal last weekend. As Mourinho joined in with the celebrations, everything seemed all right in the world again.

However, replays showed that the Brazilian had pulled the hair of midfielder Nathan Saliba in the build-up to the goal, garnering the attention of the video assistant referee. Isidro Díaz de Mera ventured over to the pitchside monitor and subsequently sent Vinícius Jr off for violent conduct. His goal was, of course, chalked off, too.

There was much speculation about the extent of the punishment with El Clásico looming, and the verdict arrived just before Madrid’s Champions League clash against Roma on Wednesday. Vinícius Jr was handed a four-match suspension, and he serves the first game of it this weekend.

The 26-year-old will also miss El Clásico next Sunday, as well as La Liga bouts with Racing Santander and Valencia. He won’t feature again in the Spanish top flight until after the November international break.

He will at least be available for Madrid’s upcoming Champions League fixtures against RB Leipzig and AEK Athens. Domestic suspensions do not carry over into European competitions.

How Could José Mourinho Replace Viní Jr?

Yan Diomande is the obvious replacement, with plenty of Madrid supporters calling on Mourinho to trust the most expensive African player in history over the Brazilian after the recent break.

Diomande scored his first goal for the club in last week’s slender win over Villarreal, and was impressive after Viní Jr’s midweek withdrawal. Mourinho’s gung-ho approach after falling 3–1 behind in Rome, which included the arrivals of strikers Endrick and Carlos Espí off the bench, is unlikely to be a game plan the Madrid boss considers from the outset of any upcoming fixture, even if Diomande thrived amid the chaos on Wednesday.

The Ivorian will likely start down the left-hand side, with Brahim Díaz and Arda Güler as options on the opposite wing. Both playmakers will drift infield, and have Denzel Dumfries offering support on the overlap.

Rodrygo is still some way from returning to first-team action after tearing his ACL in March.