Champions League: Mourinho Faces Vinicius Dilemma As Real Madrid Host Leipzig

Champions League: Mourinho faces Vinicius dilemma as Real Madrid host Leipzig (Rome: UEFA Champions League - Roma vs Real Madrid)

Real Madrid FC:  Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho faces a selection dilemma over picking star forward Vinicius Junior ahead of Wednesday's Champions League home match against German club RB Leipzig.

Real Madrid winger Yan Diomande is set to face his former club following his reported transfer from Leipzig for more than 120 million euros (140 million U.S. dollars), but Mourinho must decide whether to retain the youngster or recall Vinicius.

Diomande impressed in Sunday's 4-1 La Liga win over Sevilla, scoring a fine goal as Vinicius served the first match of a four-game domestic suspension for pulling Villarreal defender Nathan Saliba's hair and subsequently protesting to the referee.

The Brazilian remains eligible for Champions League matches, leaving Mourinho with a difficult decision after Real Madrid produced arguably its best performance of the season in his absence, reports Xinhua.

Vinicius has also faced criticism from sections of the Santiago Bernabeu crowd, although Mourinho must balance his selection against the need to keep players fresh for Sunday's La Liga showdown away to Barcelona.

Mourinho could also make changes elsewhere, with Denzel Dumfries and Trent Alexander-Arnold options at right-back, potentially allowing Federico Valverde to return to midfield. Brahim Diaz and Eduardo Camavinga are also in contention for starting places.

Meanwhile, fellow La Liga club Real Betis host Feyenoord seeking a third consecutive victory in the competition and try to recover from Saturday's 5-2 home defeat to Barcelona when they host Dutch side Feyenoord.

Manuel Pellegrini's side has won its opening two Champions League matches, and a third consecutive victory would put it in a strong position to qualify for at least the knockout-phase playoffs.

However, Betis will be without Colombia international striker Cucho Hernandez, who is expected to miss around a month with a muscle injury. Troy Parrott is in line to lead the attack in his absence.

Manuel Pellegrini's side has won its opening two Champions League matches, and a third consecutive victory would put it in a strong position to qualify for at least the knockout-phase playoffs.

Article Source: IANS