Carvajal Backs Vinicius: "He'll Be Unstoppable Again Very Soon"

Dani Carvajal, who joined Getafe in October, has stood up for his former Real Madrid teammate Vinicius Junior after the forward's underwhelming start to the season, saying the Brazilian star will very soon be back to his unstoppable best.

Vinicius, who signed a new 6-year contract with the club during the summer transfer window, has managed only 1 goal and 3 assists in the 11 matches he has played this season.

The 26-year-old, handed a 4-match LaLiga ban for pulling Nathan Saliba's hair in Real Madrid's 1-0 win over Villarreal, has now served half of his suspension. With the Brazilian absent for Sunday's El Clásico victory over Barcelona, Yan Diomande emerged as one of the coaching staff's leading options for the starting 11.

As debate continues over whether Diomande should play instead of Vinicius, who has kept his place in the starting 11 for Champions League matches while serving his league ban, Dani Carvajal, who spent 12 seasons in Real Madrid's first team, has offered strong backing to his former teammate.

Speaking to El Larguero, Carvajal said of Vinicius: "He's a wonderful person and brings a lot of joy to the dressing room. He has never shied away from carrying the team in the toughest moments of games, taking responsibility and asking for the ball. That's a very valuable quality; he's a player who never hides on the pitch."

The experienced defender continued: "To be objective, his recent red card and the doubts over whether he'll play aren't a pleasant situation for anyone. But Vini has overcome far more complicated situations than this in the past. He needs to stay calm; he has just extended his contract and has many years ahead of him. He's an extraordinary player, and very soon we'll be watching that unstoppable Vini again."

Real Madrid, who beat Barcelona 2-1 at Camp Nou at the weekend, sit third in LaLiga, three points behind the leaders. Before the international break, Los Blancos travel to AEK Athens in the Champions League, as well as facing Racing Santander and Valencia away from home in the league.