Real Madrid have confirmed that Brazilian forward Vinicius Junior has suffered an ankle sprain following their 4-3 defeat to Barcelona in Sunday's El Clasico encounter.
The 24-year-old star was forced to leave the pitch during the match, and subsequent medical tests have revealed the extent of his injury, though the club has not specified how long he will be sidelined.
"Following tests carried out today on our player Vinicius Jr. by the Real Madrid Medical Services, he has been diagnosed with a sprained left ankle. The outcome is pending," read an official statement from the club.
This injury comes at a particularly difficult time for Carlo Ancelotti's side, who now find themselves seven points behind Barcelona in the LaLiga title race with just three fixtures remaining in the season.
The defeat to their arch-rivals has severely damaged Real Madrid's hopes of retaining the league title, and Vinicius Jr's absence will further complicate their already challenging situation.
Vinicius has been a key performer for Los Blancos this season, and his unavailability comes as a significant blow as the team looks to finish the campaign strongly despite their diminishing title prospects.
Real Madrid will now await further assessment of the Brazilian's condition to determine the full extent of the injury and establish a timeline for his return to action.
