Carlo Ancelotti confirms Vinicius Junior's injury return date ahead of Champions League clash

Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed Vinicius Junior will return to the Real Madrid squad for next week's Champions League clash with Atalanta.

Vinicius suffered a thigh injury late last month and was expected to miss around three weeks of action, but various reports claimed he was ahead of schedule and teased a quicker return to the Madrid lineup.

Madrid face Girona on Saturday and Ancelotti expects that to be his final game without Vinicius, who will be back in the side to face Atalanta on Tuesday.

"Seeing Vinicius is good news, he has recovered very well," Ancelotti told a press conference. "He won't be ready for tomorrow, but he will be ready for the Champions League."

Defender David Alaba also made a return to training on Friday, but Ancelotti warned fans not to expect to see the Austrian in competitive action for a few more weeks as he prepares to return after one year on the sidelines.

"Alaba has helped us a lot in training, but he needs another month," the boss explained. "He will be back in January. The deadline for him is next year."

Madrid fell 2-0 to Liverpool in their first game without Vinicius, but threatened to steady the ship with a 2-0 win over Getafe soon after. However, a 2-1 defeat to Athletic Club has once again ramped up the pressure ahead of Vinicius' return.

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