Arsenal watch on as Vinicius fate is revealed after red card for hair pull
Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior could miss the first Clasico of the season after he was sent off for pulling an opponent’s hair in the La Liga win over Villarreal.
In a dramatic, 21-minute cameo as a second-half substitute, Vinicius thought he doubled Real’s lead when tapping home from a Jude Bellingham cross on Saturday.
However, the goal was chalked off after the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) caught the Brazil international tugging Nathan Saliba’s hair in the lead up to the strike.
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Vinicius was then shown a straight red card by referee Isidro Diaz de Mera, with the winger needing to be restrained by his team-mates after reacting angrily to the decision.
Ten-man Real held on for a narrow 1-0 win over Villarreal thanks to an effort from Yan Diomande - his first goal for the club following his summer move from RB Leipzig.
But Los Blancos head coach Jose Mourinho skipped his post-match press conference following the chaotic match at the Bernabeu.
Vinicius apologised to Real supporters for his red card, writing on Instagram after the game: “I am still happy. Sorry to my team and the fans.”
However, the 26-year-old made no mention of Canada international Saliba in his apology.
And now SPORT understands Vinicius could receive a two-match La Liga ban following the incident - which may rule him out of this month’s Clasico with Barcelona.
The Spanish publication cites the case of Mallorca defender Johan Mojica, who received a two-match ban after pulling the hair of Levante’s Roger Brugue in May.
Real entertain fifth-placed Sevilla in their next La Liga match on Sunday, 18 October before travelling to league leaders Barcelona seven days later.
Mourinho’s side are already six points behind Barcelona, who have made a perfect start to 2026-27 by winning their opening eight games in La Liga.
Arsenal pursued Vinicius in the summer transfer window
Arsenal made Vinicius one of their top targets in the summer transfer window as they looked to make a marquee addition to their forward line.
However, the Premier League champions ended up missing out on Vinicius after he signed a bumper six-year contract with Real in August.
Despite failing to land Vinicius, Arsenal have made a strong start to the season, winning eight of their nine games in all competitions including the Community Shield.
The Gunners came from behind to beat Leeds United at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday, with Riccardo Calafiori and Bruno Guimaraes on target for Mikel Arteta’s side.
