Vinicius Junior suffered an injury during the A match.

Brazil came from behind to defeat Colombia 1-2 in the fifth match of the South American qualifiers for the World Cup 2026 at the Roberto Melendez Metropolitano in Colombia on Sunday (July 17).

There was some bad news in the disappointing loss. In the 19th minute, Vinicius went down with an injury. While dribbling, he was tackled by a Colombian defender. He got back up and continued to play, but eventually went down with a thigh injury.

Vinicius had already injured the same area in the third round of the Spanish Primera Liga against Celta Vigo. He was out of action for about a month. “I think it’s the same injury,” said Vinicius himself after the game.

Real Madrid have been plagued by an ‘injury bug’ this season. First-choice goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois tore his cruciate ligament in his knee and is on the operating table. His replacement, Kepa Arrizabalaga, is also currently sidelined with a right adductor muscle injury.

Key defender Édouard Militant is already out, having twisted his knee in the first leg against Athletic Bilbao when he blocked an opposing striker. The medical team came in to check him out, but he couldn’t get up. He was helped off the field by the medical staff. He burst into tears as if he knew he was in trouble.

Tests showed that the injury was serious. Real Madrid announced on their official website that “Éder Militant has been diagnosed with a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. He will undergo surgery in the coming days.” The injury is so serious that he is unlikely to return this year.

Midfielder Aurélien Chouameni has suffered a fracture. “Chouameni has been diagnosed with a stress fracture in the second metatarsal of his left foot,” Real Madrid said on its official website. He is expected to be out of action for six to eight weeks.

Eduardo Camabinga, who can play anywhere from left-back to midfield, is also out. He collided with a teammate in training with the French national team and subsequently tore the lateral ligament in his right knee. He could be out for up to 10 weeks.

Jude Bellingham, a key part of the team, is also injured. The midfielder has 13 goals and three assists in 14 games since joining Real Madrid ahead of the season. Despite being a midfielder, he has a better eye for goal than most strikers.

He went down in the eighth minute of the first leg against Rayo Vallecano in Round 12 while trying to keep possession of the ball. It didn’t look like a major injury, but he couldn’t get up easily. The medical team came in and checked his condition, and he played the rest of the game, but the results were bad: he was diagnosed with a dislocated shoulder. He will be out for two weeks.

In this situation, even Vinicius is injured. Real Madrid is currently in second place in La Liga with 10 wins, two draws, and one loss. They need to finish first in order to win the title, but injuries continue to plague them.

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