Vinícius Júnior walked off the Metropolitano pitch just before the hour on Sunday after Dean Huijsen’s red card forced José Mourinho to reorganise Real Madrid with ten men. Atlético Madrid won the derby 2-1.

The substitution followed a familiar pattern, one that has arrived earlier every week: the 26-year-old was withdrawn after 87 minutes against Inter, 89 against Rayo Vallecano and 68 against Elche before Sunday’s 54th-minute exit, a fourth consecutive game he has not finished.

From renewal to reshuffle

Behind the tactical decisions sits a contract signed just weeks ago. Vinícius put his name to a six-year extension in August that runs to June 2032, ending months of Arsenal speculation.

Mourinho played a direct part in that outcome. According to journalist Alberto Pereiro, reported by Yahoo Sports, the manager took Vinícius aside during the negotiation and helped tip him towards staying.

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Mbappé pulls away

The comparison with Kylian Mbappé has hardened the debate. The Frenchman has eight goals in seven appearances this season, playing 630 minutes on the same left-leaning attacking front where Vinícius has clocked 625.

Vinícius’ return over the same window is one goal, in a 4-1 home win over Real Sociedad, and three assists across seven La Liga games and one Champions League match, Goal reported after the derby.

The tone in the press room

The manager’s public words have not caught up with his substitutions. After a 2-1 Champions League win over Inter Milan on 8 September saw sections of the Santiago Bernabéu jeer their own winger, Mourinho leaned on a proverb from home.

“You only throw stones at trees that bear fruit,” he said, in comments carried by Goal.

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“Right now we have a Vinícius Júnior who is working harder than ever.”

Three days later the tone had already narrowed. Asked before the Elche fixture what the best version of Vinícius looked like, Mourinho reduced the answer to one condition.

“The best version of Vinicius Junior will come when he starts scoring goals,” he said, via World Soccer Talk.

What the dressing room is reading

Inside the squad, teammates are said to link the dip to the summer itself. Cadena SER and Mundo Deportivo have both reported that much of the Real Madrid dressing room spent the transfer window believing Vinícius was on his way to Arsenal, and now reads his form against that unresolved backdrop, beIN Sports wrote on 22 September.

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Vinícius is still in the starting XI, still tied to the club until June 2032, and still coming off before the final whistle. The substitution minute has fallen from 89 to 54 in the space of three matches, and Real Madrid now go into the international break.

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