The curse of the international break has struck and it has hit one of the biggest clubs in the world, Real Madrid.
Los Blancos have seen several of their players leave the Spanish capital to represent their national team during the current break. Unfortunately, one of their most influential players sadly picked up an injury just a few minutes into the first game.
That man is Vinicius Junior, the Brazilian who is Ancelotti's most influential attacker following the unexpected departure of Karim Benzema over the summer. The 23-year-old started for the Selecao in their highly-anticipated FIFA World Cup qualifier against Colombia but sadly did not last long.
The winger was forced off the pitch after only 27 minutes due to a thigh injury. The five-time World Cup winners were leading 1-0 — though they had been shaky from start to finish — after Vinicius Jr. set up Arsenal ace Gabriel Martinelli for the opener. However, Brazil went on to lose that game 2-1, with Liverpool star Luis Diaz netting a brace.
The extent of the attacker's injury has now been revealed by Real Madrid, with the club diagnosing him with "a tear in his left femoral bicep which is affecting the tendon in his hamstring" after undergoing tests.
While the club did not put a timescale on his recovery, the Athletic reports that the Brazilian will be out for two and a half months. This could be devastating for Ancelotti's side in their pursuit of La Liga and the UEFA Champions League titles as this could leave them without their main attacker until early February.
He could miss two showdowns with Atletico Madrid, one in the Spanish Super Cup and the other in the league, as well as clashes against Valencia, Real Betis, Villarreal, and potentially Girona. Additionally, Vinicius Jr. will be unavailable for the final two UEFA Champions League group-stage fixtures against Napoli and Union Berlin but should recover in time for the round of 16 in mid-to-late February.
Los Blancos are currently second in La Liga, sitting two points behind surprise leaders Girona. In the UEFA Champions League, however, not only have Real Madrid secured progression to the knockout round but Ancelotti's men have also won their group with two games left. Nonetheless, Vinicius Jr. joins a growing injury list that features Thibaut Courtois, Eder Militao, Eduardo Camavinga, Aurélien Tchouaméni, and Jude Bellingham — though the latter three are not as serious as the early two.
