Vinicius backed to return to best form by Ancelotti

Carlo Ancelotti is unconcerned about Vinicius Junior’s current form and fully expects him to bounce back quickly as they prepare to face Real Sociedad.

Vinicius has scored once and registered one assist in LaLiga so far this season, while he has created 15 chances, the most of any of his team-mates.

However, he has been criticised for a slow start to the season with Madrid, and for lacklustre performances for Brazil in a narrow win over Ecuador and a shock loss to Paraguay during the international break.

Ancelotti acknowledged that Vinicius has yet to hit the heights of his previous seasons, but stressed that the player needs support.

“He’s not at his best, but he’s still very important for us,” Ancelotti told a press conference on Friday.

“We’re in no hurry because the team has managed to score, and he has been important… and the last concern for me is Vinicius’ condition, but we have to take good care of him.

“He always works well, and it’s a matter of just time for him to reach his best level. I can’t fool myself into thinking that I’ll have all players at 100% at all times.

“I don’t want to go into his problems in Brazil, but what I see is a more general issue, because they are not managing to bring out their best version as a group.

“Here we are delighted with Vinicius because although he is not at his best right now, no one can forget that with Vini, we have been able to win two Champions League titles… We have to be very fond of him at Madrid.”

#RMCity pic.twitter.com/9slES32Pns

— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadriden) September 13, 2024

Ancelotti said that he will have to evaluate the fitness of Vinicius and his Brazil team-mates Rodrygo and Endrick after a long trip back from international duty, in order to minimise the risks of injury as his side gear up for a busy schedule with seven games in the next three weeks.

The Italian will face a selection headache ahead of Saturday’s clash at La Real with defender David Alaba and midfielders Jude Bellingham, Eduardo Camavinga, Dani Ceballos and Aurelien Tchouameni still recovering from injuries.

“With the way the calendar is built, we will have injuries, it is just the way it is, so rotating is a good thing,” Ancelotti added.

“We are used to playing that many games but need to be vigilant in monitoring the players’ fatigue so they can rest when they need.

“The players who have just come back from the international break, like Vinicius, Rodrygo and Endrick, who had long travels with Brazil, are under observation because they haven’t had time to rest or train.

“We have to try to avoid injuries. Last year we had a lot of injuries, but we managed to cope very well. With this schedule, it’s normal to have injuries, and we have to face it.”