Real Madrid are no longer waiting for anyone. Jose Mourinho's train is moving at breakneck speed, and the shocking paradox is that it is at the peak of its form without its supposed star man.
Vinicius Junior once changed the course of matches on his own. Now he is off the rhythm, and a new partnership between Mbappe and new arrival Diomande threatens to push him out of the starting line-up calculations.
Is Vinicius's time in Madrid over? That is the question raised by the famous "Ser Deportivos" programme on "Cadena Ser" radio, which brought together journalists close to the Spanish giants, Anton Meana and Javier Herraez, to analyse the Brazilian's crisis.
He will not be able to keep up
The concern at Valdebebas is now out in the open. Javier Herraez believes Vinicius is going through "a mix of sporting and personal factors", stressing that his return has become a top priority for the club.
Herraez told Cadena Ser radio: "His start to the season was poor, and he is loved by the Valdebebas fans, but when someone admits their mistake, this kind of public shaming does not benefit the club or anyone else."
Anton Meana delivered the harshest verdict, revealing worrying details: "There is cause for concern because Vinicius is not well, and the statistics the club has on him indicate that he will not recover soon."
Meana added: "It is good that he is playing and gaining minutes, but what I feel while watching Real Madrid is that the team is moving very fast, and Vinicius will not be able to keep up. Diomande has settled the matter, and Mbappe often performs better without Vinicius, and I see an uncertain future for Vinicius in the starting line-up in the near term," acknowledging the state of major division among the Madrid fans over the Brazilian.
Real Madrid's plan: no competition between Diomande and Vinicius
Despite this striking brilliance from the new arrival, the two journalists agree that Real Madrid's plan does not regard Diomande as a direct competitor to Vinicius.
Herraez explained: "The club's plan was Diomande, Mbappe, Vinicius. I do not know Mourinho's plan."
Meana stepped in with more detail: "The information we receive from the club is that this is Diomande's, Mbappe's and Vinicius's Real Madrid. They do not see any competition that could replace him, even if Diomande plays. As for the rest (Brahim Diaz, Bernardo Silva, Carlos Espai and Endrick), they are players to fill out the squad or sit on the bench."
A suspension saves Mourinho from the hardest decision
Without his customary brilliance, and with the suspension that will bar him from Sunday's Clasico against Barcelona, Mourinho goes into the biggest clash of the season without his Brazilian star.
Is the team better without Vini? Meana answered with shocking frankness: "Yes. He is not well, and you need people who are fully fit."
He even branded the suspension a gift to the coaching staff, sparing them a difficult decision to leave Vinicius out: "It is a difficult decision, and the fact that he is suspended makes Jose Mourinho's task easier."