Alonso believes in Vinicius, but the Brazilian may not be a starter

Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso is confident that Vinicius Junior (right) will soon return to his best form and become one of the team's main players in the new La Liga season. The Brazilian forward started in the narrow 1-0 win over Osasuna in the first round, but did not impress with his performances. This forced him to remain on the bench for the away game at Real Oviedo, where Madrid won 3-0.

Ahead of the match with Mallorca on Saturday, Alonso did not confirm whether Vinicius would start as a starter, but gave a clear sign that he believes in his qualities: “I am very happy with Vinicius. Against Oviedo he showed that he can be decisive even as a player coming off the bench. In a dressing room, the most important thing is that everyone is ready to help - on or off the pitch. Vinicius will be key. I want him to have a fantastic season, and for everything he has given Madrid and for what we expect from him now, I know he will be decisive.“

Last season, Vinicius played 52 games in all competitions and scored 21 goals - three fewer than the season before, when he scored 24 goals in 39 matches. In addition to his performance on the pitch, Alonso also sees him as an important figure in the dressing room: “We have 25 players from the first team and several from Castilla. The most important thing is for everyone to feel that they have a role and that their moment will come.“

Meanwhile, La Liga has officially filed a complaint against Real Oviedo over racist abuse directed at Vinicius and Kylian Mbappe during last week's match.