Vinícius Júnior is not playing because he is suspended for yellow-card accumulation in LaLiga.

Quick Scoop: What’s going on?

  • Vinícius picked up his 5th yellow card of the league season in Real Madrid’s recent game against Rayo Vallecano.
  • In LaLiga, reaching that threshold triggers an automatic one‑match ban , so he has to sit out the match against Valencia.
  • This is a disciplinary suspension , not an injury: he finished the Rayo match and is expected to be available again for the next league game (vs Real Sociedad) once the ban is served.

Mini timeline

  1. Match vs Rayo Vallecano: Vinícius plays, gets booked (5th yellow).
  1. LaLiga rules: 5 yellows = automatic one‑game suspension.
  1. Result: He does not travel / is not in the squad for Real Madrid’s game against Valencia.
  1. Expected return: Next league match after Valencia, assuming no further sanctions.

Forum / fan talk angle

On forums and fan spaces, people aren’t just asking “why is Vinicius not playing” but also debating:

  • His aggressive playing style and how it leads to more cards and suspensions.
  • Whether Madrid rely too much on him and what the attack looks like when he is out, with players like Mbappé or others stepping up in his absence.

You’ll likely see this framed as:

“Vinicius is out today, not injured, just suspended after too many yellows.”

So if you’re checking the lineup and don’t see him, it’s a one‑game ban situation, not a long‑term absence.

TL;DR: Vinícius isn’t playing because of a one‑match suspension after his 5th yellow card of the LaLiga season , not because of injury.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.