Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti provides Vinicius Jr fitness update ahead of LaLiga clash against Villarreal

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has revealed that Vinicius Jr will be available for the upcoming game against Villarreal in LaLiga. Los Blancos travel to El Madrigal on Saturday, March 15, to face the Yellow Submarine in the league.

Ancelotti's team are currently second in the table after 27 games, tied on points with leaders Barcelona, who have a game in hand. Real Madrid arrive at Saturday's match on the back of a 4-2 win, via penalties, over Atletico Madrid in the Champions League Round of 16 second leg.

Interestingly, Vinicius Jr missed a penalty during regulation time and was hooked off in the second half of extra time. That raised concerns about the Brazilian's involvement this weekend.

However, Ancelotti has now brushed those rumors aside, insisting that the 24-year-old doesn't have any fitness issues.

“We’ve given him an extra day’s rest, because he was still very tired. Tomorrow he’ll be at full strength, available. He doesn’t have any kind of problem, just a bit of tiredness,” said Ancelotti.

He continued:

“Vinicius is indisputable. He can have good or bad games, but he’s unquestionable. If sometimes he doesn’t play well, or fails? I don’t question him. He’s been so important to this club that I can’t argue with that.”

Vinicius has scored 18 goals and set up 11 more from 38 games for Real Madrid this season.

---

Will Vinicius Jr leave Real Madrid this summer?

Vinicius Jr

Clubs from Saudi Arabia are apparently planning to offer £200m to prise Vinicius Jr away from Real Madrid, according to The Telegraph. The Brazilian forward is under contract with Los Blancos until 2027, but his future has been subject to speculation for a while.

Vinicius has been indispensable for the LaLiga giants in the past few seasons. He narrowly missed out on the Ballon d'Or last year, but won FIFA's The Best Men's Player of the Year Award.

While the arrival of Kylian Mbappe has taken some of the limelight away from Vinicius Jr, he remains a key figure for Real Madrid at the moment. However, the Saudi Pro League are ready to test the club's resolve this summer.

They are planning to prise the Brazilian away to boost their league's status and are even ready to offer the player an exorbitant salary. Los Blancos have no plans to let the player leave, but they will consider an exit on the player's request. The report adds that Al-Hilal could be his next destination.