Alonso Defends Vinicius’ Reduced Role At Real Madrid

Real Madrid’s coach has spoken about the reasons behind Vinicius Junior’s reduced role at the club this season.

Vinicius was subbed off in the 2-0 win over Espanyol on Saturday and expressed frustration at the decision, which became a talking point in the Spanish media.

He is yet to complete a full 90 minutes for Real Madrid this season under new manager Xabi Alonso.

He has been substituted in 10 of the 12 matches since Alonso took charge in June, following Carlo Ancelotti’s departure.

He started on the bench in the other two games, including last week’s Champions League opener against Olympique de Marseille.

In the game against Espanyol, Vinicius was impressive, setting up Mbappe for the goal, and was also a constant threat down the left flank.

The decision to substitute him didn’t go down well with the Brazilian, as he was seen fuming at Alonso on his way to the bench.

Alonso has played down Vinicius’s reactions while revealing that he is happy with his performances this season.

He said, “I was a player myself, and when I was substituted, I didn’t like it either. I don’t think it’s a big deal that the players show their frustration.

“I’m happy with what Vinicius is doing; it is still early in the season. We need everyone. I’m happy, and we can do better in the last third.

“The only thing missing for him against Espanyol was a goal. I substituted him when he was at his best. Maybe I could have waited a little longer to substitute him, but I wanted to bring on some fresh players on the wing.

“The same thing happened with (Franco) Mastantuono. He also got mad at me… They wanted to continue, but we needed to take control of the match, and we needed fresh legs.

“They were a little angry, but it happens to everyone. I’m happy with Vini’s performance, with Mastantuono’s too… but there are times when you need fresh players.”

Alonso also concluded that it was his job to make decisions for the club while emphasising the need for squad rotation.

“It’s great that we have so many options in our squad. If I didn’t make decisions, I wouldn’t be here. That’s my job. The more correct decisions I make, the better we’ll do. It’s a very long season; we need to use all these options we have.”

The likes of Alvaro Carreras, Kylian Mbappe, and Aurelien Tchouameni have played in each of the six games so far.

Alonso said, “They’re important, and we’ve only played six games. There’ll be a time for everything, and they’ll be part of the rotation. Don’t ask me when… but they will. So far, it’s been a short period. We’ll see with more time.

Real Madrid will be hoping to continue their stunning start to the season when they take on Levante on Tuesday, having won all their first five matches of the season.

Alonso concluded: “We’re doing better, but we’re still in the process of building. We played a solid, solid game the other day. And that tells us about the good things we’re doing.

“We’ve only been here for a short time, almost nothing… And we must have more ambition. Be hungry. We want a lot of points, and to do that, we must win a lot of games.”

Meanwhile, Real Madrid have announced their 24-man squad to take on Levante on their website.

Real Madrid Squad For Levante.

Goalkeepers: Courtois, Lunin, Sergio Mestre.

Defenders: Carvajal, Militão, Alaba, Asensio, Á. Carreras, Fran García, Huijsen, David Jiménez.

Midfielders: Bellingham, Camavinga, Valverde, Tchouameni, Arda Güler, Ceballos.

Forwards: Vini Jr, Endrick, Mbappé, Rodrygo, Gonzalo, Brahim, Mastantuono.

The Los Blancos are currently topping the La Liga table with 15 points from five games while scoring 10 and conceding two.