Vinicius Junior sets new injury return target
- Vinicius is currently sidelined with a hamstring injury
- Brazil forward was forced to miss international duty
- Initial reports suggested a period of six weeks on the sidelines
By Tom Gott
Vinicius Junior is working hard behind the scenes to speed up his return from a hamstring injury and make it back on to the pitch ahead of schedule.
The Brazil forward went down midway through the first half of the 1-0 victory over Celta Vigo on 25 August and was subsequently forced to miss international duty after tests confirmed he had damaged his right hamstring.
He was expected to miss at least six weeks of action but Marca state there is growing optimism in Madrid that Vinicius could be back sooner than expected.
Club medical staff are understood to see the Madrid derby against Atletico, currently scheduled for the weekend of 23/24 September, as a realistic return date for Vinicius, although no risks will be taken and he will not be rushed back to action.
Scans have been conducted every day since Vinicius first went down and those involved are said to have seen real progress.
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The injury only added to what has been a challenging start to the current campaign for Vinicius, who was getting used to life in a more central role before being sidelined.
Karim Benzema's departure and the subsequent signing of midfielder Jude Bellingham have seen manager Carlo Ancelotti shift away from the 4-3-3 setup that worked wonders for Vinicius in favour of a 4-1-2-1-2 to maximise the Englishman's impact.
Playing as a striker, Vinicius has just one goal in his three outings this year, while Bellingham has stolen the headlines with five goals and one assist in just four games.
It was another summer signing, Joselu, who replaced Vinicius in the starting lineup last time out, and the 33-year-old loanee made the most of his opportunity by getting on the scoresheet to help Madrid retain their spot at the top of the La Liga standings.
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