Vinícius handed four-game ban and will miss Barcelona clash

Vinícius Júnior was sent off after pulling Nathan Saliba's hair during Real Madrid's home match against Villarreal. According to Times of India Top Stories, the incident happened shortly after he came on as a substitute in Saturday's 1-0 win.

The hair pull came before Vinícius scored, CBS Sports reported. That goal was subsequently disallowed, according to L'Équipe.

On October 14, the Spanish football federation's disciplinary committee imposed a four-match suspension, CNN Brasil reported. L'Équipe described the punishment as following both the hair pull and protests against the referee.

The consequences extended beyond the next fixture. ABC reported that Vinícius would miss Real Madrid's league matches against Sevilla, Barcelona, Racing and Valencia. The Barcelona match is scheduled for October 25, according to Al Jazeera.

Real Madrid then beat Roma 4-3 in the Champions League on October 14. In coverage published the following day, L'Équipe reported that Real Madrid coach José Mourinho was angry that the suspension had been announced two hours before that match.

On October 15, Vinícius also challenged his treatment by referees. Al Jazeera reported that he said he was being targeted and wanted protection for players such as himself, Yamal and Alvarez, who bring something different to the game.

The four-match suspension leaves Real Madrid without Vinícius for the upcoming Clásico away to Barcelona, as Telegraaf reported. His absence is part of a league ban, rather than a suspension that kept him out of the Roma fixture.

The responses have focused on two separate issues: Mourinho's objection to when the decision was announced, reported by L'Équipe, and Vinícius's complaint about refereeing, reported by Al Jazeera. Neither report describes a change to the punishment.

The immediate sporting consequence is how Real Madrid cover Vinícius's absence across the four league fixtures listed by ABC. The most prominent test is the October 25 meeting with Barcelona, which Al Jazeera confirmed he will miss.