Vinicius Junior a Doubt Ahead of Real Betis Clash After Missing Out on Training Again With Illness

Real Madrid winger Vinícius Júnior could miss out on a place in their matchday squad this weekend after missing a second consecutive training session with the club as he's suffering with the flu.

The Brazilian has had an impressive start to his career at the Santiago Bernabéu, tallying up nine goal contributions in just 13 appearances across all competitions.

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But amid an injury crisis in the Spanish capital, Marca report that Real Madrid could be left with just Karim Benzema as their only recognised forward this weekend as Vinícius hasn't trained with the squad due to illness.

New signing Brahim Díaz will likely be involved once again after making his debut against Leganés in the Copa del Rey, while youth team striker Cristo González is also expected to retain his place in the first team.

Gareth Bale and Marco Asensio are both missing through injury, while Lucas Vázquez will sit on the sidelines through suspension. Mariano Díaz has returned to training following his recent injury, but the Dominican remains a doubt for head coach Santiago Solari.

Elsewhere in the squad, Toni Kroos, Marcos Llorente, Thibaut Courtois and Castilla defender Javi Sánchez are also missing.

Real Madrid's defeat against Real Sociedad last week has left them without a win in La Liga since December 15, with the points gap between them and league leaders Barcelona now up to double figures.

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By the time Los Blancos kick off at the Benito Villamarín, Atlético Madrid, Sevilla and Deportivo Alavés can all get some extra breathing space with wins in their games, while Real Betis will move to within one point of Madrid if they can cause an upset on Sunday.