Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior has sustained a hamstring injury, the Spanish club announced on Monday, which will prevent him from participating in the upcoming Champions League match against Liverpool. 

According to a statement from the club, "After tests conducted today, our player Vinicius Junior has been diagnosed with a hamstring injury in his left leg by Real Madrid’s medical team." 

Reports from Spanish media suggest that the Brazilian winger could be sidelined for nearly a month, which would also exclude him from the Champions League match against Atalanta on December 10, in addition to Wednesday’s game at Anfield. 

Vinicius played the entire 90 minutes during Madrid’s 3-0 victory over Leganes in La Liga on Sunday, where he assisted Kylian Mbappe for the opening goal. 

Real Madrid’s Brazilian forward #07 Vinicius Junior celebrates scoring the opening goal with his teammates during the UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg football match between FC Bayern Munich and Real Madrid CF on April 30, 2024 in Munich, southern Germany. (Photo by Michaela STACHE / AFP)
The 24-year-old has had an impressive start to the season, outshining the summer signing of Mbappe so far. 

Having finished second in the Ballon d’Or voting, Vinicius has scored four goals in four Champions League matches this season, along with eight goals in 13 La Liga appearances. 

Champions League holders Madrid have had a rocky start to their European campaign, suffering two defeats in their first four matches. They lost 1-0 to Lille and 3-1 at home to AC Milan in their most recent competition outing, placing them 18th in the expanded group standings. 

Liverpool, now under the management of Arne Slot, currently leads both the Champions League and Premier League tables.