Vinicius Junior says goals will return as Mourinho cites fatigue | OneFootball

Vinicius Junior has confronted his dip in form, assuring Real Madrid fans that his goals will return as scrutiny grows over his starting role.

As reports that his standing within the squad has begun to slip as competition for minutes intensifies following Kylian Mbappe’s arrival.

That shift was underlined at Elche, where he was withdrawn on 68 minutes, a third straight early substitution. In the closing stages at the Martinez Valero, teenager Yan Diomande featured on the left and sparked some of Madrid’s best attacks. Vinicius accepted the change without visible frustration.

Across 598 minutes this season he has scored once, with three assists. Mbappe, by contrast, has eight goals in his first seven outings, and Jose Mourinho’s recent selections have tilted towards the former Paris Saint-Germain forward after an initial effort to share minutes.

Posting on Instagram, Vinicius wrote: "The goals will come back... I can’t keep missing this many."

Mourinho downplayed any demotion, citing physical demands. "Tired, tired... Vinicius did a very good job with our defensive organisation. He was tired."

Source: Goal.com

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”