José Mourinho has given Real Madrid fans something to smile about ahead of Wednesday's Champions League clash with RB Leipzig. The Portuguese manager confirmed that Vinícius Júnior is expected to start at the Santiago Bernabéu on October 21, 2026, despite the Brazilian sitting out several La Liga matches due to suspension.
Vinícius picked up a four-match domestic ban following his red card against Villarreal, which means he will miss a number of league games, including the highly anticipated El Clásico against Barcelona. The good news is that the suspension does not carry over into European competition, keeping him free to feature on the continental stage.
Mourinho stopped short of making any firm guarantees, but his words were encouraging. "Without promising anything, I think he will start in the Champions League on Wednesday," the manager said. That kind of quiet confidence from Mourinho tends to mean business.
Beyond the Leipzig match, Mourinho used the moment to send Vinícius a message. He challenged the forward to treat his time away from La Liga as a reset, pushing harder in training and arriving back in domestic football with sharper form and a bigger contribution to offer the squad.
Real Madrid will also be carrying momentum from their last league outing against Sevilla into this week's European fixture. Whether Vinícius can channel that energy from the start against Leipzig is the question everyone at the Bernabéu will be watching closely.
Originally published by NotJustOk.