Vinicius Jr's frustration grows under Alonso's rotation policy

Vinicius Jr did not hide his frustration after he was substituted in the 77th minute of Real Madrid's 2-0 win against Espanyol on Saturday, as the Brazilian winger is still to play the full 90 minutes of any game in all competitions this season.

Under manager Xabi Alonso, who took charge of the club in June following the departure of Carlo Ancelotti, Vinicius has seen a reduction in playing time despite his previous status as one of Real Madrid’s standout performers.

The 25-year-old, who played a pivotal role in Real's Champions League triumphs in 2022 and 2024 – scoring in both finals – has featured for the entire 90 minutes in only one of the 12 matches managed by Alonso.

He has been substituted in 10 matches and started on the bench for the other two, including the club’s Champions League opener against Olympique de Marseille earlier this week.

On Saturday against Espanyol, Vinicius was a constant threat down the left flank, forging a strong partnership with left fullback Alvaro Carreras and linking effectively with Mbappe in attack. He gave an assist to Mbappe's goal and hit the post with a strike from close-range.

However, despite playing one of his best games so far this season, he was still substituted by coach Alonso, who acknowledged the Brazilian's frustration but defended his rotation policy.

"The only thing missing for him today was a goal," Alonso told a press conference. "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 said it was his job to ensure that Real won matches, rather than making players happy.

"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," he added.