Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior has been ruled out of the upcoming Champions League clash against Liverpool after suffering a hamstring injury, the club announced on Monday.

"Following medical tests today, Vinicius Junior has been diagnosed with a hamstring injury in his left leg," read the statement from Real Madrid.

According to Spanish media, the Brazilian winger is expected to be sidelined for nearly a month, which would also see him miss the Champions League match against Atalanta on December 10 and Wednesday's game at Anfield.


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Vinicius played the entire 90 minutes in Real Madrid's 3-0 La Liga win over Leganes on Sunday, where he assisted Kylian Mbappe's opening goal. On social media platform X, the 24-year-old wrote, "The crazy calendar... now to recover."

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez criticized UEFA and FIFA for expanding match schedules, blaming them for the growing injury crisis among players.

This season's Champions League features eight group matches instead of six, along with an extra knockout round for certain teams. Perez noted that Madrid, already dealing with long-term injuries to Dani Carvajal and Eder Militao, could play up to 82 matches this season.


"There are 63 percent more matches organized by UEFA and FIFA, from 22 to 36," said Perez. "There have already been nine cruciate ligament injuries in La Liga this season, matching last year's total. Experts attribute this to fatigue."

Despite the injury setback, Vinicius has been in stellar form this season, outperforming summer signing Kylian Mbappe. The forward, who was runner-up in the Ballon d'Or, has scored four goals in as many Champions League games and eight in 13 La Liga appearances.

Defending Champions League winners Real Madrid have struggled in Europe this season, losing two of their first four matches. They currently sit 18th in the expanded group table after defeats to Lille (1-0) and AC Milan (3-1).

Meanwhile, Liverpool, under new coach Arne Slot, lead both the Champions League group and the Premier League.