Vinicius Junior didn’t feature in either the European Super Cup or Real Madrid‘s first La Liga game of the season, with Julen Lopetegui opting to bring the young Brazilian along gradually, according to Marca.
The new Madrid manager, who is reportedly hoping for one more attacking signing before the transfer window closes, was impressed by Vinicius’ performance during pre-season, as were many senior figures at the club.
However, the 18-year-old, who is being viewed as potentially a Neymar-level talent, still represents a risk for Lopetegui at this stage, and the manager reportedly does not believe Vinicius is ready for a first-team promotion just yet.
Lopetegui may also prefer to give the youngster more chances after Madrid have a few wins under their belt, following the 2-0 victory over Getafe in their league opener, so that Vinicius is not placed under too much pressure too quickly.
With Florentino Perez a known admirer of the youngster – he sanctioned a €45million move for a player who hadn’t even broken into Flamengo’s first team when the deal was agreed last year ahead of this summer’s move – it won’t be long before Vinicius gets his chance.
