Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior has been handed a four-match suspension following his red card against Villarreal, ruling him out of the first El Clasico of the season against Barcelona on October 25.

The Spanish football federation’s disciplinary committee imposed a two-match ban for the red-card incident and an additional two-match suspension for his reaction to the referee’s decision.

Vinicius was sent off during Real Madrid’s 1-0 victory over Villarreal last Saturday. The Brazilian came on as a second-half substitute for Trent Alexander-Arnold in the seventh minute and was involved in the controversial incident around 20 minutes later.

After receiving a pass from Jude Bellingham, Vinicius found the net and celebrated what appeared to be a goal. However, following a VAR review, the referee dismissed him for pulling the hair of Villarreal defender Nathan Saliba earlier in the attacking sequence.

The situation escalated when Vinicius reacted angrily to the referee’s decision and approached him to protest. That reaction ultimately contributed to the additional two-match suspension.

The Brazilian later apologised to his teammates and supporters on social media, but the disciplinary committee still handed him a four-match ban.

As a result, Vinicius will miss Real Madrid’s upcoming La Liga matches against Sevilla, Barcelona, Racing Santander and Valencia. His absence will be particularly significant for the October 25 clash with Barcelona at Camp Nou.

Vinicius has started almost every Real Madrid match this season, missing out on the starting XI only once. His suspension therefore leaves manager Jose Mourinho with a major selection headache ahead of one of the biggest fixtures of the season.

Real Madrid currently sit fourth in La Liga with 18 points after eight rounds, six points behind leaders Barcelona. Missing one of their key attacking players could make the upcoming Clasico even more challenging for the Madrid side.