Long considered untouchable at Real Madrid, Vinícius Júnior is enduring a rough patch. He has lost his place in the starting line-up.
According to José Félix Díaz, a journalist at the newspaper "AS", the player knows full well that he is no longer a certain starter.
It is uncharted territory for a man whose individual brilliance and decisive performances the Santiago Bernabéu had come to take for granted. His recent displays have fallen short of those standards, and that dip has reshaped the attack.
Losing his place does not mean his coach has given up on him. Quite the opposite. The newspaper "AS" reported that "Vinícius is fully aware that he has lost his place in the starting line-up, and he realises he is no longer immune from competition, but if there is one thing he has felt in recent days, it is absolute respect and support from José Mourinho and the club".
Mourinho is not out to shield Vinícius from competition or hand him a guaranteed starting spot. What he wants is to help the Brazilian rediscover his best level.
Mourinho will not allow Vinícius to leave
That approach stands in stark contrast to the difficulties and misunderstandings that marked Vinícius's previous relationship with Xabi Alonso.
The communication between the Brazilian and Mourinho is now excellent, according to the Spanish newspaper, with conversations marked by frankness, whether in private or in the Portuguese coach's public statements.
Real Madrid's staff are fully committed to recovering the explosive, decisive player who ranked among the best in the world in his position.
Vinícius, for his part, is working hard to turn things around. He wants his ability back: to dribble past defenders, flip matches on their head and keep opposing defences under constant pressure.
Real Madrid, though, can take comfort from one thing. Vinícius signed a new deal last summer until 30 June 2032, a contract that reflects the club's long-term faith in him.
His current numbers, however, are a world away from his usual output: 12 matches, just one goal and three assists. That is a meagre return for a player of his value, even factoring in the impact of his league suspension.
Nobody in Madrid seems in any hurry. The club knows what the Brazilian can deliver at his peak, and now it expects him to prove it all over again.
With Vinícius's recent form and the emergence of Yan Diomande, his place in the starting line-up is no longer a given. It is a target he must fight to reclaim.