Vinicius Jr banned for four games: Mourinho slams 'shameless' timing of decision

Vinicius Jr will sit out El Clasico. The Real Madrid forward was handed a four-game ban following his red card in the 1-0 win over Villarreal last Saturday, a punishment that rules him out of league fixtures against Sevilla, Barcelona, Racing Santander and Valencia. The news emerged just a couple of hours before the Madrid side took on Roma in the Champions League, a timing that infuriated head coach Jose Mourinho.

• Vinicius Jr was sent off for pulling Nathan Saliba's hair during the match against Villarreal.
• The Brazilian will miss four LaLiga games, including El Clasico against Barcelona on 25 October.
• The disciplinary committee imposed a two-match ban for the violent act and two more for his protests to the referee.
• Mourinho hit out after the suspension was announced two hours before the Champions League clash with Roma.
• Real Madrid fought back to beat Roma 4-3 with Vinicius Jr on the pitch.

What happened in Vinicius Jr's red card against Villarreal

Vinicius Jr came on in the 52nd minute of the Villarreal game and thought he had scored his side's second goal. But the referee reviewed the build-up on the pitchside monitor and saw that the Brazilian had grabbed Nathan Saliba by the hair before finding the net. The goal was ruled out and Vinicius Jr was shown a straight red card.

The Spanish football federation's disciplinary committee said the suspension covered violent behaviour committed away from a genuine challenge for the ball, with two additional matches added for the player's protests towards the match officials. The combined punishment left the winger facing four games out of the domestic competition.

Which matches will Vinicius Jr miss through his four-game ban

The suspension arrives during a demanding stretch of the domestic calendar and directly affects the biggest fixture of the early season. The Brazilian will miss games against Sevilla, Barcelona, Racing Santander and Valencia, four league dates spread between 18 October and 7 November. The most significant absence is the Clasico on 25 October, when Real Madrid will be without one of their main attacking threats.

Mourinho's furious response to the ban announcement

Mourinho did not hide his anger after his team's comeback win over Roma. Rather than dwell on the result, the Portuguese coach focused on the timing of the disciplinary ruling and fired off a series of sarcastic, pointed questions.

Do you think it's normal that a player from a Spanish team, who has to play a match that is also important for Spanish football, that two hours before the match a player knows he's been given a four-match suspension? Couldn't they do it tomorrow morning? Do we have to come by bus and almost arrive at the stadium when we find out Vinicius has a four-match suspension?

The Real Madrid boss went further, calling the handling of the situation a lack of respect towards the club and the player. 'They do things shamelessly now. The cat is out of the bag now. Two hours before the match, a player must know he has a four-match suspension,' he added.

Mourinho's argument about Real Madrid's role in European football

Mourinho argued that Real Madrid had earned points for Spain's coefficient through their European results and that the player had still been treated unfairly. 'A Spanish team that has earned three points for Spanish football, for the rankings, for the prestige of Spanish football. You want to kill a player two hours before the match? It doesn't seem normal to me,' he said.

How Vinicius Jr reacted to his sending off

After the win over Villarreal, Mourinho skipped his post-match press conference. Vinicius Jr, for his part, took to social media to apologise to supporters and team-mates. 'Sorry for today, I'm sorry to the team and the fans,' the Brazilian wrote in a message accepting responsibility for what happened on the pitch.

El Clasico without Vinicius Jr: a blow to Real Madrid's attack

The Brazilian's absence for the Barcelona showdown forces Mourinho to reshape his forward line in one of the most demanding matches of the campaign. Vinicius Jr is one of the team's most dangerous weapons because of his ability to beat defenders in one-on-one situations, and losing him reduces Real Madrid's attacking options in a fixture often settled by fine margins.

The four-match suspension does not affect the Champions League, which is why the winger was able to feature against Roma and will remain available for upcoming European games. The ban applies only to the domestic competition, where Real Madrid must find internal solutions to cover a significant absence during a busy month of fixtures.